MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Following a positive first-half business performance, construction equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson is becoming more optimistic for the full year. The Executive Board raised its target for revenue and capital expenditure as well as its operating margin range. Both ends of the revenue target range are now expected to increase by EUR 200 million to between EUR 2.5 billion and EUR 2.7 billion, according to a surprise announcement made by the company in Munich on Thursday. Management increased the margin for earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by half a percentage point to 10 to 11 percent. In addition, 140 million euros are to be invested this year instead of 120 million. The share price rose.

In addition to the positive business development, the forecast also takes into account possible changes in the economic environment over the course of the year.

Wacker also published preliminary figures for the second quarter. According to these figures, sales rose by more than a quarter year-on-year to almost EUR 700 million. Profit in the day-to-day business even rose by 84 percent to just under EUR 89 million. This corresponds to a margin of 12.7 percent, which means that Wacker was significantly more profitable than a year ago.

The Munich-based company plans to publish final figures on August 8./lew/jha/