Sandvik misses Q2 core profit forecast, but orders improve
Adds CEO comments 6 and 7, analyst comment in paragraph 11, details
By Jesus Calero and Elviira Luoma
July 19 (Reuters) -Swedish metal-cutting and mining equipment maker Sandvik SAND.ST reported a bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter core profit on Friday, citing reduced demand from infrastructure clients.
Its shares crept higher, however, after it said it received more orders in the quarter, driven by strong software growth and demand in its Mining and Rock Solutions divisions.
Sandvik - among the first Nordic industrial firms to report quarterly results - is considered a reliable indicator of demand given its broad customer base.
Second-quarter orders grew by 2% to 32.35 billion Swedish crowns ($3.04 billion), and sales declined 3% to 31.42 billion.
In a statement, it said demand had been depressed by low activity in Europe, while the signals from North America were mixed and conditions in India were positive.
In an interview with journalists, Sandvik CEO Stefan Widing also highlighted the company's growth in China.
He attributed it to automotive and general engineering sectors, but also told Reuters lower steel prices in China had weighed on prices for some of its materials for the mining industry.
Its operating profit before amortisation and items affecting comparability fell 7% to 6.15 billion Swedish crowns, missing a mean forecast of 6.26 billion crowns in an LSEG poll of analysts.
Items affecting comparability, mainly restructuring costs, totalled a negative 131 million crowns, it said.
J.P. Morgan analysts said in a note Sandvik's performance was largely in line with expectations, featuring a slight order beat and promising progress on ramping in Mining and Rock solution sales.
Peers Swiss ABB ABBN.S and Finnish Wartsila WRT1V.HE this week reported respectively a shortfall in Q2 revenues and an uptick in orders.
($1 = 10.6575 Swedish crowns)
Reporting by Jesus Calero and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; editing by Milla Nissi and Barbara Lewis
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