MADRID, Reuters Spanish builder ACS posted a ninemonth net profit of 576 million euros 616.2 million on Monday, a 20 rise from last year and topping market expectations, as it expanded projects in the United States and benefited from tollroad unit Abertis.

Analysts on average expected net profit to jump 15 to 552.67 million euros from the 480 million euros reported in the same period in 2022, according to LSEG estimates. They had forecast a slight adverse impact on earnings due to currency exchange rates of both the U.S. dollar and the Australian dollar.

The company39;s sales rose 7.6 to 26.3 billion euros, it said.

On the back of strong results from construction activities, the company is evaluating a sale of its services unit Clece, which operates mainly in Spain, ACS Group CEO Juan Santamaria said, following a report published by local business newspaper Expansion on Monday.

It is true. … We are looking at different possibilities and different options in the market, said Santamaria during a call with analysts after results were released. We are in the early stages. … We have not made a final decision, he added.

ACS39;s construction businesses generated 309 million euros in profit between January and September, up 21.5 from the same period in 2022. The concessions unit earned 173 million euros, mostly contributed by Abertis, whose net profit grew 35 compared with last year.

Services division Clece booked net profits of 22 million euros, 4.6 more than the…