Grafton says first-half pre-tax profit rises by 8% to £62.8 million

The company warned of a challenging backdrop in the UK merchanting market

Grafton reported strong growth in its Irish operations, which include the Woodies chain of DIY stores

Grafton Group has reported an eight per cent rise in first-half pre-tax profit to £62.8 million (€73.6 million) as revenue grew by 13 per cent to £1.23 billion with growth broadly split between exiting business and acquisitions.

Thebuilders merchanting and DIY firm, which owns the Woodies chain of stores, reported strong contributions from Ireland and the Netherlands as well as Selco in the UK but warned of a challenging backdrop in the UK ...