UK's Fuller, Smith & Turner gets boost from summer, World Cup demand

June 10 (Reuters) - British pub and hotel chain Fuller, Smith & Turner on Wednesday said strong demand for drinks and staycations in the summer and ahead of the soccer World Cup led to robust sales in recent weeks, building on momentum seen in its annual results.        

Here are some details:     

• Like-for-like sales for the 10 weeks to June 6 rose 4.4% after a 4.9% increase for the 12 months ended March 28

• The company's shares rose as much as 9.8% in early trading

• "The new financial year has begun well ... As we move into our summer season, preparations have gone well," Executive Chairman Simon Emeny said, adding that advance bookings for the World Cup have been strong, and the group was seeing increased demand for staycations

• Fuller, Smith & Turner, which operates premium pubs and hotels across the UK with many in central London, said it plans to invest over £30 million ($40.2 million) across the estate to improve its offerings

• The firm announced plans to extend its share buyback programme by a one million class A shares

• The upbeat tone contrasts that of rivals Mitchells & Butlers and Marston's, which flagged softer demand as consumers remained cautious and reined in spending amid macroeconomic uncertainty

• The broader industry has been pressured by higher costs and dampened consumer sentiment spurred by the Iran war

• For the year ended March 28, Fuller, Smith & Turner's adjusted pretax profit grew 28% to £34.6 million and adjusted operating margins rose to 11.5% from 10.7% a year earlier

($1 = 0.7469 pounds)

(Reporting by Neeshita Beura and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Mrigank Dhaniwala)