Burberry reports strong quarter

British fashion house Burberry Group today said it would meet full-year expectations after it beat analysts' forecasts for third…

British fashion house Burberry Group today said it would meet full-year expectations after it beat analysts' forecasts for third-quarter trade today.

Burberry, known for its camel, red and black check design, said total sales in the three months to end-December rose an underlying 25 per cent to £206 million ($404 million).

"This outstanding quarter has been led by Burberry's strong retail performance," chief executive Angela Ahrendts said in a statement, adding like-for-like store sales rose 13 per cent.

Finance director Stacey Cartwright told reporters it was Burberry's best quarter since its IPO in mid-2002.

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Burberry raised its guidance for second-half growth at its wholesale and licensing businesses, which together account for 30 per cent of group sales.

Its shares, which have outperformed other FTSE mid-cap stocks by 15 per cent over the past 12 months, were up 0.6 per cent at 634-1/2 pence by 9.36am.

Third-quarter retail sales rose 25 per cent to £143 million, while wholesale revenue rose 22 per cent to £43 million. Licensing sales were up 7 per cent to £19 million.