Euro 2004 impact will shape Wetherspoon figures

The impact of the Euro 2004 soccer championship will help determine how well pub group Wetherspoon fares during its current financial year.

Wetherspoon said today that like-for-like sales in its pubs were up by 3.7% in the 13 weeks to 25 April.

The figures, covering the third quarter of Wetherspoon's financial year, brought like-for-like sales growth for the year to date down to 4.5%.

Overall sales increased by 6.5% (year to date: 9.4%).

The group said the like-for-like performance had been affected by cost pressures, as previously indicated.

As a result of the reduction in like-for-like sales, Wetherspoon said its profits for the full financial year could come in "around the lower end of analysts' expectations."

Much could depend on the impact of the Euro 2004 football championship, the company said.

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