Buildings materials group CRH is predicting that its earnings for the full financial year will come in at €4.15bn, up 12% on last year's performance.
The forecast came as the firm reported a strong performance for the first nine months of the year, with Earnings Before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) for the period of €3.2bn, up 7% compared to the same period in 2018.
The largest increase was recorded in the company's materials business in the Americas, where EBITDA rose 9%, driven by more favourable weather conditions than in the first half of the year.
Sales across the group for the year to September were up 4% at €21.8bn, with the European materials business recording the highest percentage increase in trading, as a result of a continuation of positive trends.
Profit before tax is expected to be ahead of 2018's performance of €1.9bn, it predicted.
The company said that looking ahead to 2020, it expects solid market fundamentals to continue across its key markets.
The firm also claimed its group-wide profit improvement plan is advancing.
CRH has divested €2bn in assets during the first nine months of the year, including the sale of its European distribution business in October for €1.64bn.
It has also spent €700m on over 40 acquisitions and investments.
Shareholders have had €750m in cash returned to them through the ongoing share buyback programme.
The company said construction activity in the UK continued to decline amidst Brexit-related uncertainty.
