French group Bouygues posts lower-than-expected operating loss in first half

COLAS SA

27/08/2020 06:38

PARIS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - French conglomerate Bouygues
 BOUY.PA  reported a lower-than-expected core operating loss in
the first half on Thursday, as the novel coronavirus outbreak
severely hit sales over the period. 
    Group current operating loss amounted to 132 million euros 
($156.10 million) in the first-half, reflecting a fall of 585
million euros from a year earlier, the family-run group said in
a statement. 
    This beat the median average of nine analyst estimates
compiled by the company, which predicted a current operating
loss of 336 million euros. 
    Bouygues did not provide new financial targets for 2020
after having dropped them earlier this year. 
    However, it said it would return to "significant
profitability" in the second-half, while remaining below the
levels reported over the same period in 2019.
    ($1 = 0.8456 euros)

 (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain;
Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
 ((Mathieu.Rosemain@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 4949 5182; Reuters
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