Sales growth lifts profit expectations at JD Sports

British sportswear firm JD Sports Fashion said it expects full-year headline profit before tax to beat market expectation by up to 15 per cent after posting growth in comparable store sales.

The company said positive trading has continued through the second half of the year and maintained cumulative like-for-like store sales growth for the 49 weeks to January 7th at 10 per cent.

Current consensus market expectation for headline profit before tax and exceptional items was £200 million (€230 million), the company said.

JD Sports posted profit before tax and exceptionals of £157.1 million for the last financial year.