Mota-Engil profit jumps 24% on Africa, Latam growth; backlog hits record

LISBON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Portugal's largest construction company, Mota-Engil, said on Thursday its first-half net profit rose 24% on robust growth and higher margins in Africa and Latin America, while its global order book climbed to an all-time high.

• The builder, which operates in 23 countries across Africa, Europe and Latin America, posted a net profit of €74 million ($86.25 million) in the period, up from €59 million last year.

• Sales rose 6% to €2.9 billion, driven by 11% growth in Africa to €1.16 billion and a 7% increase in Latin America to €1.17 billion, offsetting a 20% decline in Europe.

• Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 10% to €487 million, with the EBITDA margin widening to 17% from 16% a year earlier.

• Africa remained the group's most profitable market, with EBITDA up 12% at €287 million and the margin rising to 25% from 24% a year earlier, while EBITDA in Latin America increased 14% to €120 million, with the margin unchanged at 10%.

• EBITDA in Europe fell 20% to a modest €15 million, although the margin held steady at 8%.

• The company said in a statement its order backlog reached a record €17.7 billion, up from €14.7 billion a year earlier, driven by large projects in Mexico, Angola and Brazil.

• It said the backlog did not include additional contracts worth €2.5 billion signed after June.

• The builder on Wednesday won a 30-year concession to modernise and operate a railway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, linking its copper and cobalt mining regions to Angola's U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor, in a deal worth $1.8 billion.

• Mota-Engil is 40%-owned by the Mota family and 32.41% by China Communications Construction Company.($1 = 0.8580 €)

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Louise Heavens)