M&A may have to wait amid trade war, but WSP Global CEO sanguine as profits rise

MONTREAL — WSP Global Inc. remains largely insulated from tariff fallout and cost-cutting by the U.S. government, but acquisitions at the engineering giant may have to take a back seat amid broader economic uncertainty, says chief executive Alexandre L’Heureux. “The worst thing that can happen for an M&A environment to be prosperous is to have instability and a lack of visibility into the future,” he told analysts on a conference call Thursday. “A lot of players are on the sidelines and are waiting for good conditions.” As it watched and waited, the Montreal-based company racked up a first-quarter profit increase…