Interim Results stated:
Underlying Profit Before Tax -4.8% to £26.3m.
Interim dividend +3.6% to 2.9p.
Special dividend of 15p per share (£51.2m, making £246.5m returned to shareholders via dividends since the IPO in May 2014).
The fall in operating profit came despite a 3.1% increase in LFL sales,
Total revenues increased by +6.1%, with
30 net new UK stores opened in the period, bringing the total UK estate to 895.
Profitability remained high with EBITDA margins of 18.3%
As of 8:08am the stock was trading down c.12.45% at c.310.00p