Europe's biggest independent mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse said it was on track to meet full-year expectations after posting an 8.3% rise in first-half underlying sales.
The group, which in April agreed to buy back Best Buy's stake in its European joint venture for £471m sterling, said sales had been boosted by more contract connections, which helped offset a weak pre-pay market.
The firm said growth in second-quarter like-for-like sales had slowed to 3.6%, as expected, in part due to customers putting off upgrades and waiting for the 4G roll-out.
Carphone said it was well placed ahead of the key Christmas trading period.
The company made a group headline profit before tax of £19m for the 26 weeks to September 28, up from £4m in 2012 and reiterated its full-year guidance for EPS of between 17 and 20 pence.
