Last checked at 
* Ken Murphy started as CEO last week
* H1 group core profit down 15.6%
* Retail operating profit up 4.4%
* Sees 2020-21 retail profit at least matching 2019-20
* Shares up 2.2%
(Adds detail, CEO comments, shares)
By James Davey
LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The new boss of Tesco,
Britain's biggest retailer by sales, backed the strategy of his
predecessor on Wednesday, despite a drop in first-half core
profit as COVID-19 costs and losses at Tesco bank outweighed a
surge in sales.
Ken Murphy, formerly at healthcare group Walgreens Boots
Alliance, succeeded Dave Lewis on Oct. 1.
"I think you can take it that I'm really happy with the
strategy and direction of the company, unless you actually see
it changing in the stores," he told reporters.
"My job is to maintain momentum in the business and keep us
focused on delivering a brilliant Christmas," he said.
Murphy said it was too early to talk about longer term
strategic opportunities. But he said he had no plans to exit any
more overseas markets or sell Tesco Bank, which swung to a first
half loss as it braces for a surge in virus-related bad debts.
In his six years at the helm, Lewis put Tesco back on track
after an accounting scandal and refocused the group on its home
market.
Tesco still faces major challenges, most notably the
economic impact of the pandemic and potential disruption when
Britain's Brexit transition period finishes at the end of 2020.
Shares in Tesco, which has a 27% share of Britain's grocery
market, went sideways during Lewis' tenure and last week the
group briefly lost its position as Britain's most valuable food
retailer to online specialist Ocado.
The stock was up 2.2% at 0855 GMT, paring 2020 losses to
14.3% after the group forecast that retail operating profit in
the full 2020-21 year would be at least the same level as
2019-20 - a slight upgrade from its June forecast.
Tesco made group operating profit before one-off items of
1.04 billion pounds ($1.34 billion) in the 26 weeks to Aug. 29,
down from 1.23 billion pounds in the same period last year.
Retail operating profit rose 4.4%.
UK like-for-like sales jumped 7.6% as shoppers continued to
eat more at home due to coronavirus-related restrictions on
socialising, having been up 8.7% in the first quarter.
However, the cost of coping with the pandemic - including
extra staff - amounted to 533 million pounds.
Tesco Bank made a loss of 155 million pounds, driven by a
provision for potential bad debts and reduced income. A loss of
175-200 million pounds is still expected for the full year.
The 8.2 billion pound sale of Tesco's Thailand and Malaysia
businesses, agreed in March, is expected to complete in the
second half, allowing Tesco to return 5 billion pounds to
shareholders via a special dividend.
Tesco also named Tate & Lyle's Imran Nawaz as its
new finance chief. He will succeed Alan Stewart who retires in
April.
An interim dividend of 3.2 pence is being paid.
($1 = 0.7756 pounds)
(Reporting by James Davey, editing by Paul Sandle and Mark
Potter)
