Helsinki, Oct 17 - Finland's largest retailer, Kesko, posted slightly better-than-expected third-quarter pretax profit on Wednesday, boosted by rising sales in its foreign operations.
Kesko, which sells products ranging from bread to tractors in countries around the Baltic Sea, reported a July-September pretax profit of 98.3 million euros ($140 million), up from 84 million euros a year earlier and above an average forecast of 95 million by analysts in a Reuters poll.
At 0827 GMT, shares in Kesko were up 1.3 percent at 45.03 euros on a slightly stronger Helsinki bourse.
Kesko said its net sales for the first nine months of 2007 amounted to 2.42 billion euros, up 10.2 percent from the same period the previous year.
The retailer said it expects sales to grow in the next six months, but at a slightly slower rate than during January-September.
It said sales at its key hardware unit could be dented by a slowdown in the Finnish construction market, of which there are clear signs.
The former market leader, which S Group surpassed in 2005, also said increasing labour costs could hamper the retailer's future outlook.
Earlier on Wednesday, Finland's trade sector workers and employers reached a 2-1/2 year wage deal which would raise salaries around 10 percent.