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Swedish construction and engineering group Skanska said Wednesday it would make a 556-million-euro gain from the sale of a 50 percent share in a company that owns a Chilean highway concession.

Skanska said the buyer, Canada's Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), was acquiring the Skanska-owned Swedish holding companies that own the 50 percent stake in Autopista Central in Santiago, which is run as a public private partnership (PPP).

"The gain on sale after tax amounts to approximately 5.0 billion Swedish kronor (556 million euros, 730 million dollars) and corresponds to to a gain of 12 Swedish kronor per share in Skanska," the company said in a statement.

Chief executive Johan Karlstroem called the investment in Autopista Central "Skanska's most successful ever."

"This deal gives a very good result for Skanska and our shareholders," he said.

The announcement sent Skanska's shares up 4.0 percent in early trading on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. At 0910 GMT, the company's shares were up 3.44 percent to 135.5 kronor in a flat market.

Analyst Bengt Claesson at SEB called the announcement "good news," saying the expected deal had come earlier than planned.

"It is positive that they announce it already now as the announcement was not expected until next year," he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Skanska said the deal was conditional to approval from the bond guarantor and amendments to the financing agreements.

It said the gain would be recognised at the earliest in the second quarter in 2011.