Defence giant Babcock has posted a jump in profits for the first half, driven in part by demand from the nuclear and marine sectors.

Revenue for the six months to September 30 rose to £2.5bn - marginally up from £2.4bn a year earlier - while underlying operating profit increased 19 per cent to £201.1m. Basic earnings per share also rose from 25.7p to 33.7p.

The FTSE-100 group employs thousands of people in the South West, including at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth - one of the largest Naval support sites in Western Europe.

In a trading update on Thursday, Babcock said its contract backlog stood at £9.9bn for the period, reflecting "significant" land and aviation orders in the second half of 2025.

Meanwhile net debt, excluding leases, reduced by £90m over the period to £56m.

David Loc

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