Bodycote emerged from a difficult six months with its profits intact as the company benefited from growing demand for its testing equipment from power generation companies as well as oil and gas groups.

John Hubbard, chief executive, said Bodycote would take a one-off charge of £2.1m related to its defence against a hostile bid from Sulzer, the Swiss engineering company, which made six indicative offers for the UK group before conceding defeat.