World Cup boost for pub group Marston's

The company, which has 2,159 pubs in Britain, said sales at its managed pubs open for more than a year were up 1.7 per cent on the prior year in the 43 weeks to July 31, including a 2.7 per cent increase in the 11 weeks to July 31.

Underlying profit at its tenanted pubs fell by 4 per cent in the same period.

Tenanted pubs, which are owned by pub companies but run by publicans, have fared less well than managed pubs through the recession as they have tended to have less flexibility on pricing and promotions.

Marston's said it was cautious about the impact on consumer confidence of Chancellor George Osborne's austere emergency Budget, in June.

Britain's pubs have battled with a torrid trading environment over the last two years as a smoking ban, recession, above-inflation increases in beer duties and cheap booze offers in supermarkets kept drinkers at home.

But recent updates from Enterprise Inns, Wetherspoon, Punch Taverns, Greene King and Fuller have pointed to an upturn in trading in recent weeks with both the World Cup and good summer weather boosting trade.

Market expectations for Marston's full-year pre-tax profit range from between 70.5m-76m, according to a Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S poll of 16 analysts.