Commenting on trading, Ian Cheshire, Group Chief Executive, said:
"With sales growth in each of our three main divisions and further solid profit growth in our final quarter we have ended another challenging year in robust shape. Our established programme of self-help initiatives has continued to serve us well and so we expect to announce full year adjusted profit in line with the current consensus of analyst expectations.*
"Looking ahead the global economic outlook is uncertain and so we will remain focused on self-help measures to trade the business effectively, whatever the market conditions. Our medium term ambition remains to reposition the business as the industry leader at the forefront of innovation, helping our customers have 'better homes, better lives'."
