JD Sports (LON:JD.) upped its profits forecast for the current year by 10% after double digit sales growth over Christmas .
The sportswear and trainer specialist saw like-for-like sales rise 10.6% in the five weeks to 2 January.
Underlying profits are now expected to come in 10% better than the £136mln previously forecast, though JD added the published numbers will be hit by a £12mln IT write-down after it abandoned a project to replace its core systems.
Tweaks to its existing internal IT systems will be sufficient to manage growth in the future and give more flexibility, it said.
Peter Cowgill, executive chairman, said Christmas has continued the exceptional performance seen over the year overall.
“This is particularly pleasing given the very strong comparatives in the core Sports Fashion fascias in the prior two years,” he added.
Shares rose 4% to 1,103p.