Shares in Kingfisher PLC (LSE:KGF) rose 4.6% to 305.9p after the B&Q and Kingfisher owner raised its guidance for full-year profits as UK trading did not fade as badly as expected in the third quarter.
Adjusted profit before tax of between £540 million and £570 million this year is now expected, previously eyeing the upper end of £480-540 million.
Group like-for-like sales rose 0.9% in the third quarter to 31 October 2025, slower than the 1.4% seen in the second quarter but much better than the consensus forecast of 0.2% growth.
In the UK & Ireland, LFL sales were up 3.0% in Q3, supported by volume and transaction growth and continued market share gains.
Sales in France and Poland were down 2.5% and 1.3%, compared to a 1.2% decline in both markets in Q2, but Kingfisher noted that the performance was in line with their respective markets.
Trade sales grew by 12.1%, making up 31.3% of total sales, while e-commerce sales increased 10.2%, with penetration rising to 20.7%.
Chief executive Thierry Garnier said: “We delivered another quarter of high quality, volume-led growth, driven by our group strategic initiatives in e-commerce and trade and by our performance in core and 'big-ticket' categories.”
Kingfisher said it had completed £175 million of its £300 million share buyback, which remains on track for completion by March 2026.
** UPDATE: Adds share price **