Kingfisher, Europe's largest home-improvement retailer which owns B&Q here, today posted an 18% surge in interim headline profits driven by rapid expansion in its international operations.
Pre-tax profit before goodwill and exceptional items rose 18% to £345.9m sterling in the six months to July, comfortably beating the £339.9m market consensus.
Revenues climbed 9.6% to £3.9 billion with sales in Britain and Ireland up 6.3%, or 3.1% from stores open for a year or more. Sales at Kingfisher's international operations surged 19.9% with profits up 23.3%.
The company issued an upbeat message about its prospects and tried to allay concerns it is facing a more severe slowdown in Britain, which still accounts for nearly 60% of sales.
Kingfisher's home-improvement businesses include B&Q and Screwfix, as well as the French-based groups Castorama and Brico Depot.
