UK recruiter PageGroup says FY profit to beat estimates

(Reuters) - Britain's PageGroup Plc expects to beat analysts' estimates for full-year profit after posting a 14.5 percent year-on-year rise in gross profit in the second-quarter, helped by stronger hiring in its international markets.

The recruitment firm said on Wednesday it expects operating profit for 2018 to be slightly ahead of a company-compiled consensus of analysts' estimates of 134 million pounds. The consensus in turn was up from a previous figure of 132 million pounds.

The company, which focuses mainly on placing candidates mainly in permanent rather than temporary jobs, said gross profit rose to 208.2 million pounds ($275.97 million) in the quarter from 181.8 million pounds a year earlier.

 

($1 = 0.7544 pounds)

(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; editing by Patrick Graham)