International information and communications technology (ICT) group Datatec expects headline earnings a share for the year ended February 28, 2013, to be between $0.38 and $0.43, the company reported in a trading statement on Tuesday.

This was a marginal upward adjustment on the previous forecast, released on January 16, of between $0.35 and $0.43 a share.

The JSE- and LSE-group said it also expected profit after tax to be between $83-million and $88-million, with revenues in the range of $5.2-billion to $5.3-billion.

In addition, underlying earnings a share were predicted to be between $0.40 and $0.45.

Datatec expected to maintain its distribution to shareholders through a final capital reduction out of contributed tax capital in lieu of a dividend, of $0.09, bringing the total share distribution for the year to $0.17. 

The group’s gross margin expansion had continued throughout the 2013 financial year, with Latin America once again proving to be its strongest market. 

Meanwhile, the group reported that subsidiary Westcon had continued to report a below-expectation performance, particularly in the US and Europe.

Separately, Datatec had reviewed Westcon’s participation in India, which would lead the group to divest from its current venture.

In contrast, subsidiary Logicalis continued to perform strongly and slightly above expectations.

Engineering News Online reported earlier this month that Datatec had expanded Logicalis’ European footprint through the $31-million acquisition of Europe-based information technology services group 2e2’s subsidiaries.

“The acquisition of these four businesses immediately expands Logicalis’ European footprint and enables us to improve our offering to Logicalis’ multinational and Latin American clients. They also open service opportunities in new customer markets, which can be developed across the Logicalis group,” CEO Jens Montanana said at the time.

Datatec expected to release its full-year results for the financial year on or about May 15.