LONDON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest independentmobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse said it was ontrack to meet full-year expectations after posting an 8.3percent rise in first-half underlying sales.
The group, which in April agreed to buy back Best Buy's stake in its European joint venture for 471 millionpounds ($753 million), said sales had been boosted by morecontract connections, which helped offset a weak prepay market.
The firm said growth in second-quarter like-for-like saleshad slowed to 3.6 percent, as expected, in part due to customersputting off upgrades and waited for the 4G roll-out.
Carphone said it was well placed ahead of the key Christmastrading period.
The company made a group headline profit before tax of 19million pounds for the 26 weeks to Sept. 28, up from 4 millionpounds in 2012 and reiterated its full-year guidance for EPS ofbetween 17 and 20 pence.
