DCC, the international sales, marketing, distribution and business support services group, has said that overall group operating profit for its first fiscal quarter to the end of June was in line with expectations.
DCC said that strong growth across its energy, healthcare and environmental businesses was somewhat offset by a weaker performance in its technology unit.
In an interim management statement, DCC also said that it continues to anticipate that operating profit and adjusted earnings per share, on a continuing basis, will be very significantly ahead of the previous year.
It pointed out that its profits are significantly weighted towards the second half of its financial year.
In today's trading statement, DCC said that its energy division traded ahead of budget and well ahead of last year, as it was boosted by a strong performance in its LPG activities.
The business achieved a "significant milestone" when DCC completed a deal to buy the Esso Express unmanned retail petrol station network and the Esso motorway concessions in France.
Operating profits at DCC Healthcare grew strongly and in line with expectations, while DCC Environmental also traded in line "with budge" and well ahead of last year.
But trading at its DCC Technology business was behind budget and last year's trading performance as the business in the UK continues to be impacted by the weak tablet market and by reduced sales of mobile computing and smartphone products of one large supplier.
"DCC remains ambitious to continue the growth and development of its business," the company said in today's trading update.
"The recent successful equity placing further enhances DCC's strong equity base and together with a strong and liquid balance sheet leaves it well placed to continue the development of its business in existing and new geographies," it added.
