RS Group PLC on Thursday said revenue declined on a like-for-like basis in the third-quarter, as it grappled with tricky market conditions.

The London-based industrial and electronics products distributor said it saw ‘weaker than anticipated’ markets in its third financial quarter ended December 31, citing a ‘difficult economic backdrop, geopolitical uncertainty, weak industrial and electronic markets and customer surplus inventory in electronics’.

The company said revenue on a like-for-like basis declined 10% year-on-year in its third quarter, driven by a 19% fall in the Americas and a 13% slide in Asia Pacific. Like-for-like revenue in Europe, the Middle East & Africa fell by 5%.

This reflected ‘weak industrial sentiment’ and a ‘slower unwinding of customer surplus inventory, particularly in electronics and associated products’.

Overall revenue increased 1%, however, with RS noting the contribution from the acquisitions of Distrelec and Risoul.

RS Group said: ‘Notwithstanding continuing geopolitical uncertainty, extended holiday periods and extreme weather, trading in Asia Pacific is improving, [Europe, the Middle East & Africa] is stable and Americas remains challenging with Q4 comparators easing.’

RS said it continued investment in growth accelerators and noted opportunities to drive improvements in operational effectiveness.

RS shares were 0.2% lower at 771.40 pence each on Thursday morning in London.

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