DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Foster Wheeler Ltd.'s (FWLT) first-quarter earnings slumped 47% as the engineering and construction company saw a drop in volume, helping push results below analysts' expectations.

Concerns such as Foster Wheeler and rivals Fluor Corp. (FLR) and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC) are vulnerable to a prolonged downturn in oil and natural gas prices as producers scale back on projects. Tight credit and the recession pose a likely deterrent to big construction projects.

Foster Wheeler reported a profit of $72.9 million, or 57 cents a share, down from $138.1 million, or 95 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding various charges and gains, earnings fell to 59 cents from 85 cents.

Revenue decreased 30% to $1.26 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently were looking for earnings of 68 cents on revenue of $1.51 billion.

Gross margin rose to 12.9% from 12.1% on lower costs.

Despite the quarter's weakness, Chairman and Chief Executive Raymond Milchovich highlighted Foster Wheeler getting its biggest-ever contract by man-hours for a new oil refinery in India. The project is just gearing up and didn't contribute materially to first-quarter results, he said.

Foster Wheeler had bounced back in recent years from a string of losses, helped by increased energy-industry demand. But the company in recent quarters has seen weak demand in that sector.

Shares closed at $24.04 on Tuesday and didn't trade premarket. The company's stock is down by roughly two-thirds in the past year.

-By Tess Stynes, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2473; tess.stynes@dowjones.com