STOCKHOLM - Swedish mining gear maker Epiroc said on Tuesday it expected demand would remain at a high level in the near term while reporting fourth-quarter operating profits in line with forecasts.
Operating profit for the October-December period rose to 3.24 billion Swedish crowns ($309.63 million) from 2.59 billion crowns a year ago, matching the 3.25 billion crowns expected by analysts polled by Refinitiv.
Order intake at Epiroc rose 18% to 13.71 billion crowns in the quarter compared to the year-ago period. The outcome compared with an estimate of 13.43 billion crowns from investment bank Pareto Securities.
(Reporting by Marie Mannes, additional reporting by Marta Frackowiak, editing by Terje Solsvik)