Out of office: Your essential round-up of the latest business news

Grafton Group, the Irish builders merchants and DIY group, said trading in the two months to the end of December was ahead of expectations, with group average daily like-for-like revenue up by 7.2 per cent and total revenue ahead by 10.8 per cent to £439.4 million. In a trading statement, Grafton Group said demand was strongest in the Woodie’s and Chadwicks businesses in Ireland and in Selco in the UK. Group revenue for the year ...