(Adds detail, shares)
LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - SuperGroup, the Britishcompany behind the Superdry fashion brand, has gained theexclusive rights to distribute its products in the U.S., Canadaand Mexico, terminating the existing U.S. licence by paying 22.3million pounds ($33 million).
In a strategy update on Thursday from new Chief ExecutiveEuan Sutherland the firm also said it would start payingdividends with an interim payout in its 2015-16 financial year,sending its shares up 8.3 percent, the top riser on the FTSE 250Index.
The firm, whose trademark jackets, hooded tops, check shirtsand jogging bottoms are popular with teenagers andtwentysomethings, forecast a pretax profit of 60-65 millionpounds for the 2014-15 year, in line with previous guidance.
In December SuperGroup reported a 30 percent fall in firsthalf profit after warm autumn weather hit demand for clothing.However, trade rebounded in the Christmas period.
Termination of the 30 year north American licence, grantedby SuperGroup to SDUSA LLC in 2008, follows the purchase of itsScandinavian, Spanish and German partners over the last 18months.
SuperGroup expects the north American operations to beprofitable from the 2016-17 year.
The firm also said actor Idris Elba would collaborate withSuperdry to design and produce a premium line of clothing andnamed Penny Hughes, a former Coca Cola executive, as anon-executive director.
Last month the firm's finance director Shaun Wills quitafter being declared bankrupt. His departure came two weeksafter the abrupt exit of chief operating officer SusanneGiven.
Shares in SuperGroup, which have nearly halved over the lastyear, stood at 1013 pence at 0823 GMT, valuing the business ataround 800 million pounds.
($1 = 0.6705 pounds) (Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Neil Maidment)
