Full year expectations unchanged at Dignity

Funeral home operator Dignity said underlying operating profit in the first quarter of 2010 was flat, while revenue edged higher.Revenue increased by 1.9% in the 13 week period to 26 March 2010 to £53.9m from £52.9m in the corresponding period of 2009.Operating profit, excluding profit on sale of fixed assets, was unchanged at £20.4m, which Mike McCollum, chief executive of Dignity, said was a good performance against tough comparatives. “The first quarter of 2010 is more consistent with the average of the last five years than was the case last year when there was an unusually high number of deaths in the first quarter,” McCollum said.Trading since the end of March has been in line with expectations. The company's outlook for the full year remains positive and expectations are unchanged from the time of the company's previous trading update.