Engineering consultancy Costain (COST) was buoyed by its infrastructure division during the first half, boosting the group's adjusted operating profit by almost a fifth to £13.1m. This growth is all the more impressive considering the £7.4m operating loss booked by the group's natural resources division, which was burdened by costs linked to a legacy PFI contract for the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.
The group has continued with its focus on lower-risk contracts that service the country's infrastructure, energy and water supply needs. Costain's order book reached a record £3.7bn, more than 90 per cent of which is comprised of repeat work. In infrastructure the group increased its order book by more than a fifth to £2.7bn. The group secured extensions and new work with Highways England, including two of the three lots of the A14 programme.