Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q, has reported a 9.8pc rise in annual pre-tax profits to £759m after a "challenging year", particularly in its "most significant " market of France.
The company also reported a 5.2pc rise in revenues to £11.1bn and said it would return about £200m to shareholders in the current year.
Sir Ian Cheshire, chief executive, said it had been a "challenging year", but after a tough first quarter trading conditions improved through the year, with the exception of a persistent weak economic backdrop in France, its most profitable market. It still won market share in France, as it did in the UK and Poland.
Further afield, Mr Cheshire said the company would look for a strategic partner for its lossmaking B&Q China business, aiming to replicate the partner approach it adopted in Turkey.
The firm said it planned two new country entries in 2014-15 - two Brico Depot stores will open in Portugal and four Screwfix outlets will open in Germany with full next day national delivery.
It said the combined investment impact on 2014-15 profit would be a net charge of around £10m.
Kingfisher will pay a year dividend of 9.9 pence, up 4.7pc on the previous year.
Shares in Kingfisher were up more than 4pc in early trading on Tuesday.
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