Kingfisher Raised Its Profit Outlook After A Strong First Half

Kingfisher, the UK home improvement group behind B&Q and Screwfix, raised its 2026/27 profit outlook after a stronger first half. Adjusted profit before tax climbed 9.9% to £404 million, outpacing sales growth, helped by wider margins and tight cost control. The company reported sales up just 0.8% to £6.86 billion for the six months ended July 31, while like-for-like sales rose 0.3%. Reuters said the margin expansion added 0.7 percentage points by allowing Kingfisher to keep more money from each pound of revenue. Results also received a temporary boost from a £14 million business rates refund. Regional performance varied, with Screwfix gaining share.