WBHO: Earnings to dip by up to 22.5%

Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) expected its earnings a share and heading earnings a share for the six months to December to decrease by between 17.5 percent and 22.5 percent from a year earlier, the listed construction and engineering group said yesterday. It blamed the decline on losses at Capital Star Steel, a pipe factory in Mozambique, the disposal of shelving firm Symo and subdued mining in west Africa. It will publish its interim financial results on February 24. The shares slid by 5.57 percent to close at R146 yesterday. – Roy Cokayne