LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - Dixons Retail, Europe'sNo. 2 electricals retailer, beat forecasts with an 76 percentrise in annual profit as it prepares to merge with CarphoneWarehouse.
Last month Dixons agreed an all-share merger with Carphone,Europe's largest independent mobile phones retailer, with thetwo firms seeking to capitalise on an increasing convergence ofsmartphones and consumer electronics in people'slives.
Dixons, home to the Currys and PC World chains in Britain,Elkjop in Nordic countries and Kotsovolos in Greece, said onThursday it made an underlying profit before tax of 166.2million pounds ($282 million) in the year to April 30.
That compares to company guidance of about 160 millionpounds and 94.5 million pounds made in the 2012-13 year.
Dixons said the new financial year had started well, with anuplift in TV sales driven by the World Cup and early glimmers ofa consumer recovery.($1 = 0.5889 British Pounds) (Reporting by James Davey; editing by Kate Holton)