In the 3rd quarter, construction equipment rental companies again reported year-on-year sales growth of 7.3%, and 15.5% for handling equipment companies, while construction equipment distribution activities slowed down with a 3.2% drop in sales. According to the latest economic barometer published by the DLR federation, the outlook is gloomier: quarter-on-quarter, sales for rental companies fell by -25.4%, those for distribution companies by -5.3%, while those for materials handling companies stagnated with growth of 0.1%. Continued difficult financing conditions are having a negative impact on the number of orders. Rental companies, however, remain optimistic about hiring and business, with slightly more restraint than last quarter, whereas the forecasts of DLR distribution companies are even more pessimistic than last quarter.
