Fine weather drives B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher first-half profits to €441m

In May, B&Q opened three new stores in Ireland

Kingfisher, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, made an adjusted pretax profit of £368m (€441m) in the six months to July 31. In May, B&Q opened three new stores in Ireland. Picture: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

European home improvement retailer Kingfisher, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, raised its full-year profit outlook on Tuesday after reporting a better-than-expected 10.2% rise for the first half, driven by a strong performance in the UK, sending its shares sharply higher.

The group, which trades from about 1,900 stores in seven countries, made an adjusted pretax profit of £368m (€441m) in the six months to July 31, on sales up 1% to £6.81bn (€7.78bn), with market share gains in the UK, France, and Spain.