Cleaning up: Outsourcer Mitie on track for rise in full-year earnings

Outsourcing group Mitie has cheered “steady progress” in its turnaround, with annual earnings set to rise despite a sharp drop in its order book. The group’s contracts in Scotland include maintaining the Scottish Parliament building. In a full-year trading update, Mitie said it is expecting underlying operating profit to rise to between £84 million and £87m, up from £83.2m in 2017-18. But it warned that, while its order book held broadly flat in the second half, it is estimated to have fallen by 10 per cent over the full year.