Group Results
| 6 months to 30th September | 2003 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPS | |||
| - Basic | 25.0p | 12.7p | - 49.3% |
| - Pre-exceptional | 23.1p | 18.1p | - 21.8% |
| Dividend per share | 8.8p | 9.1p | +3.4% |
| Interim dividend | £68M | £67M | - 1.9% |
| Share repurchase | £160M | £178M |
Notes
Basic earnings per share at 12.7p shows the substantial impact of the lower operating profits in Boots The Chemists and the costs of the services exit.
We have today announced an interim dividend of 9.1p. This continues established policy to consistently grow the dividend.
We spent £178M on buying back 27M shares during the first six months almost exactly on track to return £350 million to shareholders.
