The Canadian bidder for WS Atkins has done its investors a favour in underlining the attractions of the company after an analysts’ presentation only last week that tried to highlight the prospects for growth, particularly in UK infastructure.
Atkins has been focusing on enhancing margins across its business, reaching 8 per cent, but revenue growth has been sluggish and while the British mega-projects are firm enough, there must be the inevitable doubts over any Trump spending.
That revenue will come in a bit above £2 billion for the financial year to March 31 that’s just ended and for the next two. The share price, until the possible bid from SNC-Lavalin apparently was leaked this week, was not that much different from the level at which