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* JD Sports H1 profit 439.5 mln pounds vs 61.9 mln pounds
* Shares at record high, top gainer on FTSE 100
* Co cautious on further curbs through holiday season
(Adds share move, details, background)
Sept 14 (Reuters) - JD Sports reported a record
first-half profit as lockdowns eased and people visited its
shops in Britain, sending its shares to an all-time high as
investors looked past the scrapped dividend and looked ahead to
the holiday season.
The company said it expects earnings in the year ending Jan.
29 to more than double from a year earlier even as it navigates
global supply chain constraints and Brexit disruptions, which it
said limited its sales.
Shares jumped 9.2% to a record 11.45 pounds by 0730 GMT,
topping blue-chip gainers.
JD Sports has been expanding in the last few years, buying
up U.S. rivals Finish Line, DTLR and Footasylum, as it takes
advantage of the rising popularity of comfortable athletic
clothing that can be worn anywhere.
And the pandemic has accelerated that trend as people
working from home grow more comfortable in their sweatpants and
hoodies.
JD Sports' earnings before tax and exceptionals soared to
439.5 million pounds ($609.85 million) for the six months to
July from 61.9 million pounds in 2020 and 158.6 million pounds
the year before that.
CHRISTMAS LOCKDOWN?
The company expects headline pretax profit for the full year
ending Jan. 29, 2022 of at least 750 million pounds, well over
the combined earnings from the previous two years.
JD Sports, which withheld its interim dividend, said it will
consider paying a larger final dividend depending on its
performance.
The company also warned of footfall remaining weak in many
countries and supply chain challenges that held it back from
meeting strong demand in some categories, including bikes and
cycling-related accessories.
"We remain cautious about both the potential for further
restrictions on trading through the usual peak trading period
prior to Christmas," the company said.
JD, which opened a warehouse in Belgium to help cut customs
duties on transporting goods into the EU post-Brexit, will spend
100 million pounds to set up another facility in the
Netherlands.
($1 = 0.7207 pounds)
(Reporting by Muvija M and Chris Peters in Bengaluru; Editing
by Shounak Dasgupta and Louise Heavens)
