AB Foods maintains full-year guidance after first-half growth

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Associated British Foods (LSE: ABF.L - news) , owner of the Primark clothing chain, maintained full-year guidance after it beat forecasts with a 3 percent rise in first-half profit.

The group, which also has major sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients businesses, said on Tuesday it made an underlying operating profit of 486 million pounds ($696 million) in the six months to Feb. 27.

That compares to analysts' average forecast of 480 million pounds, according to Reuters data.

The firm said the results demonstrated underlying progress for all its businesses in the period despite currency pressures.

AB Foods said the underlying trading outlook for the group for the full 2015-16 year was unchanged.

The group maintained its forecast of a marginal decline in adjusted earnings per share from the 102 pence made in 2014-15. ($1 = 0.6985 pounds) (Reporting by James Davey, Editing by Paul Sandle)