LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - British testing group Intertek reported a better-than-expected 19 percent jump inprofit for 2012 as demand for technical inspections grew,particularly in emerging markets.
The FTSE 100 firm, which tests products from toys andclothes to oil and renewable technology, on Monday posted apre-tax profit of 308.4 million pounds ($462.92 million) on 2.05billion of revenue.
The group had been expected to report a pre-tax profit ofbetween 270 million and 311 million pounds, with the average at298.7 million pounds, according to a Thomson Reuters poll of 17analysts.
Intertek's industry and assurance division, the group'slargest by revenue, saw organic profit jump 19 percent,delivering a 70 basis point improvement in margins to 11.6percent.
This was supplemented by growth added by the group's 450million pound acquisition of Moody International in April 2011,which has now started to feed through into its results.
Intertek spent 40 million pounds making six more bolt onacquisitions in 2012.
Its consumer goods division, which is a world market leader,saw the slowest organic profit growth of 4.5 percent, though thefirm said demand from China was and supplemented by "strong"growth in Turkey, Korea and Vietnam.
Intertek undertook a strategic review at the end of 2012,which identified a number of underperforming businesses,particularly in Europe, that it is now spending 22 millionpounds trying to restructure.
Chief Executive Wolfhart Hauser said he expects the firm tocontinue to report high single digit organic revenue growth,margin improvement and make acquisitions going forward.
Shares in Intertek have risen 9.1 percent so far this year,compared to the FTSE 100 which is up 8.2 percent.