· Total adjusted retail operating profit4 £1,386m, +16.6% at constant rates
· UK & ROI adjusted operating profit £1,318m, +16.5% due to higher sales and lower COVID-19 costs, part offset by YoY effect of last year's £249m business rates relief (repaid in H2 last year)
· Central Europe adjusted operating profit £68m, +18.6% due to lower COVID-19 costs & higher YoY mall income
· Bank adjusted operating profit £72m, returning to profit following last year's increase in potential bad debt provision
· Retail free cash flow5 £1,543m, +93.6% inc. higher profit, lower pension contribution & c.£400m working capital phasing
· Net debt2,5 reduced by +£1.7bn since February reflecting strong cash flow
· Adjusted diluted EPS6 11.22p, +54.0% reflecting higher retail profits and return to profitability for Tesco Bank
· Interim dividend of 3.20p, in line with prior year; aligned to policy at 35% of last year's full year dividend
· Strong first half performance leading to increased full year profit expectations: adjusted retail operating profit now expected to be between £2.5bn and £2.6bn
And later;
The interim dividend was approved by the Board of Directors on 5 October 2021 and has not been included as a liability as at 28 August 2021. It will be paid on 26 November 2021 to shareholders who are on the Register of members at close of business on 15 October 2021.
A dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) is available to shareholders who would prefer to invest their dividends in the shares of the Company. For those shareholders electing to receive the DRIP, the last date for receipt of a new election is 5 November 2021
https://www.investegate.co.uk/tesco-plc ... 00081267O/