H1 profit rises at Moneysupermarket.com

Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com reported a jump in first half pre-tax profit and said it is well placed to make further progress going forward.Pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 June climbed to £2.9m from £1.9m a year earlier. Sales rose to £71.6m from £68.5m after a strong performance at its money, insurance and home services channels.Its largest insurance channel saw sales rise to £40.6m from £37m in the first half of 2009. "While the outlook for the consumer economy remains uncertain, we believe our focused determination to help every household make the most of their money leaves us well placed to continue to make good progress. Overall our trading outlook for the full year remains in line with the board's expectations," the group said in a statement.The interim dividend has been held at 1.3p per share.