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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/kingfisher-weathers-bq-pressure.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="B&#038;Q owner Kingfisher has forecast a 20 per cent rise in annual profits" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/min-kingfisher-weathers-bq-pressure.jpg" alt="B&#038;Q owner Kingfisher has forecast a 20 per cent rise in annual profits"/></a></p>
<p>B&#038;Q owner Kingfisher has forecast a 20% rise in annual profits after strong international growth offset continued tough trading in the UK.</p>
<p>The group expects adjusted pre-tax profits for the year ending last month to be at the top end of City expectations, which range from £661 million to £672 million, after strong sales in countries such as Poland and Russia.</p>
<p>Analysts said the UK and Ireland division remained under pressure, despite like-for-like sales at B&#038;Q showing a decline of 0.3% in the 13 weeks to January 29, an improvement on the 5.1% seen in the previous quarter when comparisons with a year earlier were tougher.</p>
<p>Total sales at the UK stores were up 0.1% to £835 million as the disruption from the snow in December delayed the installation of kitchens but prompted a 43% hike in winter fuel sales and an 11% rise in demand for portable heaters.</p>
<p>Its building supplies arm Screwfix also put in a stronger performance, with sales up 5.4% to £119 million after it introduced new ranges.</p>
<p>Chief executive Ian Cheshire was cautious about B&#038;Q&#8217;s outlook for the current financial year following the increase in VAT to 20% from 17.5% in January.</p>
<p>He said: &#8220;I&#8217;m expecting a difficult general market in the first six months with some improvement after that.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are not assuming any help from a buoyant market in the UK. It&#8217;s more about trying to gain market share than expecting the market to be in recovery.&#8221;</p>
<p>The rising cost of petrol was also a worry because it could make consumers less likely to drive to stores, he added.</p>
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