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Home improvement retailer Kingfisher resumed its dividend after reporting a rise in annual profit as higher sales and cost cuts boosted performance.
For the year ended 31 January, pre-tax profit was £756 million, up from £103 million year-on-year as revenue climbed 7.2% to £12.3 million.
Like-for-like sales were up 7.1% with growth across all banners in the UK & Ireland, France, Poland, Romania and Portugal, the company said.
Dividend payments were resumed with a proposed total dividend per share of 8.25p for the year, up from 3.33 pence a year earlier.
Looking ahead, the company is targeting to grow full year adjusted pre-tax profit - before £85 million of non-recurring net cost savings in FY 20/21 - in line with sales.
For the first half of the year expects low double-digit LFL sales growth. For the second half of the year like-for-like sales were expected in a range of -5 to +15%, likely to be impacted by strong year on year comparables and uncertainty over the macroeconomic and consumer environment, it added.