UK builders are on the brink of recording their longest downturn since the financial crisis https://t.co/vDrThoP0zj ...

Core Viewpoint - Afcons Infrastructure Ltd is actively seeking new opportunities in Eastern Europe and the Balkans to counteract a slowdown in its traditional overseas markets, particularly Africa and neighboring countries of India [1][5]. Group 1: Business Strategy and Market Expansion - The company has previously aimed to enhance its presence in the Middle Eastern market, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, through local partnerships, establishing a 90:10 joint venture in July 2023 [2][4]. - Afcons has emerged as the lowest bidder for three projects in Croatia, valued at over ₹11,300 crore, with expectations to receive formal contract awards by December [3][5]. - The company traditionally derived about 30% of its business from overseas markets, but this share has decreased due to a slowdown in Africa and political instability in neighboring regions [6][8]. Group 2: Financial Performance and Projections - For FY25, Afcons reported revenues of ₹12,548 crore and a profit of ₹487 crore, with a revenue growth guidance of 20-25% for FY26 [4][9]. - As of June 2025, only 12% of the company's ₹35,311 crore order book was from international sources, indicating a need for increased overseas business [8]. - The company aims to increase the overseas share of its pending order book to 30% by the end of FY26, supported by new international orders [7][8]. Group 3: Market Conditions and Challenges - The company faces challenges due to political turmoil in neighboring countries, which has affected business visibility and opportunities in those regions [6]. - Analysts have noted that Afcons is on track for a stronger second half of FY26, driven by the conversion of large L1 wins and fast-track project execution [9].

WASHINGTON (AP) — From Wall Street trading floors to the Federal Reserve to economists sipping coffee in their home offices, the first Friday morning of the month typically brings a quiet hush around 8:30 a.m. eastern as everyone awaits the Labor Department's crucial monthly jobs report. But with the government shut down, no information was released Friday about hiring in September. It's the first time since a government shutdown in 2013 that the jobs report has been delayed. During the 2018-2019 parti ...

Lantana, Fla., Oct. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JFB Construction Holdings (Nasdaq: JFB) (the “Company”), a real estate development and construction company focused on hospitality, commercial, industrial, and residential property development, today announced that it has closed on a securities purchase agreement with American Ventures LLC, Series XIV JFB as the sole investor for a private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) financing that has resulted in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $43,89 ...

Company Overview - Primoris Services Corporation (NASDAQ:PRIM) has been upgraded to a "Buy" rating by UBS, with a new price target set at $158 from the previous $135, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance [1][6] - The current stock price of PRIM is $137.33, which represents a 1.95% increase, or $2.63, with fluctuations between $134.80 and $137.60 on the day [3][6] - Primoris Services has a market capitalization of approximately $7.42 billion, indicating its significant size and influence within the Construction sector [4][6] Industry Context - Primoris Services operates in the Construction sector, which includes 88 individual stocks and ranks 15 in the Zacks Sector Rank, suggesting a positive earnings outlook for the sector [2][6] - The strong market position and positive stock movement of Primoris Services suggest it may be a favorable investment within the Construction sector [5]

Contraction. Not good. -32,000 is the headline number for ADP, which is obviously the worst in quite some time.Goods producing jobs down by 3000. Within that category, construction off by 5000 people have been waiting for that. Manufacturing down by 2000, 28,000 service industry jobs.ADP says we're lost 19,000 in leisure and hospitality and professional and business services down 13,000. The only real positive category is education and health services, which is always the big hiring place. 33,000 on the mon ...

Employment Contraction - ADP reports a significant contraction of 32,000 jobs, marking the worst performance in recent times [1] - Goods producing jobs declined by 3,000, with construction sector down by 5,000 and manufacturing down by 2,000 [1] - Service industry jobs decreased by 28,000 [1] - Leisure and hospitality sector experienced a loss of 19,000 jobs, while professional and business services declined by 13,000 [2] - Education and health services showed a positive trend, adding 33,000 jobs [2] Wage Trends - Annual pay for job stayers increased by 45%, while those changing jobs received a 65% raise [2] Data Revision and Forecasts - Last month's figures were revised down to a negative 3,000 job trade, contrasting with the initial 54,000 [3] - The industry anticipates potential revisions to non-farm payroll forecasts for Friday due to the unfavorable ADP data [3]

Core Insights - The ISM manufacturing report indicates a mixed economic outlook, with the manufacturing PMI at 49.1%, slightly better than expectations but still in contraction territory [2][5] - The prices component remains elevated at 61.9%, indicating rising prices but showing signs of deceleration compared to previous months [3][4] - New orders fell to 48.9%, missing expectations and indicating contraction, which is a concerning sign for future manufacturing activity [4][9] Manufacturing Sector Analysis - The manufacturing sector constitutes about 30-35% of the total economy, and the ISM services index carries more weight in overall economic assessments [5] - The S&P manufacturing PMI came in at 52, matching expectations but lower than the previous month, suggesting a stable but cautious outlook [8] - Overall, the manufacturing data presents a murky picture, with no signs of a significant downturn or rapid price increases, but the decline in new orders raises concerns [9][10] Labor Market Insights - The ADP report showed a surprising decline of 32,000 jobs, significantly below the expected increase of over 50,000, indicating potential weaknesses in the labor market [11][19] - The Midwest region experienced a notable job loss of 63,000, which may be an outlier but highlights regional disparities in employment trends [16] - There are concerns regarding the reliability of the ADP data due to missing information from the federal government, which could affect the accuracy of labor market assessments moving forward [18]

Core Insights - Employment in the U.S. private sector declined by 32,000 jobs in September, indicating a faster-than-expected cooling of the job market [2][5] - This decline is the largest since March 2023 and is significantly below the Dow Jones consensus of an increase of 45,000 jobs [2][3] Employment Trends - Job losses were widespread across various industries, with notable declines in leisure and hospitality (19,000 jobs), professional and business services (13,000), transportation and utilities (7,000), and construction (5,000) [3] - Education and health services added 33,000 jobs, but overall job losses overshadowed this gain [3] Data Integrity Concerns - ADP reported a higher-than-normal number of missing or redacted values in the data set received from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which affected the granularity of the benchmark calculations [4] - The preliminary estimate from the QCEW suggested a record decline of 911,000 jobs over the 12 months ending in March [4] Federal Reserve Implications - The ADP report may be the last jobs data available to the Federal Reserve before its next meeting on October 28, with expectations of the unemployment rate remaining at 4.3% [5] - The Fed has indicated a weakening labor market, with rising unemployment and inflation above the 2% target influencing recent interest rate cuts [6] Consumer Sentiment - Consumer confidence regarding job availability has declined, with only 26.9% of consumers finding jobs to be "plentiful," the lowest since February 2021 [6] - There has been a significant drop in Americans' views of their current financial situation, marking the largest monthly decline since data collection began in 2022 [6]

This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Contractors are planning to invest in artificial intelligence but actual adoption rates don’t match those aspirations, according to a new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on AI in construction. Based in London, RICS used the survey responses of more than 2,200 professionals worldwide with 10% of respondents hailing from ...