- Big dividend increase
- Primark margin up by 3 percentage points
Associated British Foods (ABF) shares rose by 9 per cent after the Primark owner beat market expectations. The company’s adjusted operating profit grew 39 per cent to £951mn in the half-year period, which chief executive George Weston said was down to “the restoration of some normality in our markets and supply chains”. Analysts had expected profit growth of a quarter.