DIY and electrical group Kingfisher reported a 17 per cent rise in annual pre-tax profits after seeing strong growth in its DIY division.
The home improvement business boasts B&Q and Comet in its portfolio, and saw total sales ahead by 4.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis.
DIY is an important sector for Kingfisher - which also owns French chain Castorama and Hornbach in Germany - as it is soon to be its sole focus when the company splits itself in two this summer.
It plans to hive off electrical retail operations such as Comet into a separate business.
New chief executive Gerry Murphy said: "It has been a very positive year for Kingfisher. I am certain that the clarity and focus that will follow demerger will benefit shareholders, staff and customers alike."
For the year to February 1, pre-tax profits before one-off costs were up 17 per cent to £655m from £560.1m a year earlier.
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