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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Spectris H1 operating profits fall as sales slow

(Sharecast News) - Precision instruments supplier Spectris said on Tuesday that operating profits had fallen in the six months ended 30 June amid a drop in both sales and operating margins. Spectris said interim operating profits had sunk 35% to £61.1m, while sales shrunk 10% to £569.7m and operating margins contracted 400 basis points to 10.4%. Basic earnings per share fell from 77.2p in H123 to 47.9p in H124.

However, the FTSE 250-listed group stated that despite softer trading in the first half, it was encouraged by signs that market conditions will improve in the second half, with its order book of £532.0m at the end of the period providing good visibility into the second half.

Chief executive Andrew Heath said: "As I look ahead, I have never been as excited about the future potential of the group as I am today.

"As a result of our financial performance in the first half we will be taking action to accelerate further self-help measures in the second half."

As of 0910 BST, Spectris shares were down 1.67% at 2,952.0p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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