Kingspan has paused a €650 million share buyback programme as it looks to “appraise potential opportunities” in its pipeline, the insulation giant said in its half-year report on Friday. The Cavan-based group, which has seen its share price drift in recent weeks despite a modest recovery so far this year, also reported a trading profit of €487.2 million for the first six months of the year, up 10 per cent and ahead of analysts’ expectations. In particular, Kingspan said sales at its Advnsys advanced building unit, which services the fast-growing data centres sector, increased by 34 per cent, “buoyed by tech sector activity”. Group chief executive Gene Murtagh said momentum picked up considerably in the second quarter, despite a challenging start to 2026. More to follow...