Husqvarna has predicted its key European market would stay tough after losses rocketed in the fourth quarter as retailers held back from buying stocks ahead of the key gardening season. The Swedish group has also said it would invest 1 billion crowns ($157 million) in a chainsaw chain production unit in Sweden, and increase capacity for cylinders for two-stroke engines for chainsaws in the United States and Sweden.

The company said its operating loss was 362 million crowns in its seasonally weakest quarter, against a year-ago 236-million loss and a mean forecast in a Reuters poll for a 125-million loss.

Chief Executive Hans Linnarson said European markets weakened significantly in the quarter and its customers were cautious about building up inventories for the coming gardening season. Weak consumer demand for winter products such as snow throwers and chainsaws also weighed on sales, the firm added.

Sales fell to 4.5 billion crowns from 5.0 billion, against a 4.6 billion forecast.

"The near-term outlook for North America is positive, while the European markets are expected to remain challenging as the macroeconomic uncertainty remains," the company said.