Pub firm Wetherspoon says on track, but flags slower finish to year

LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - British pub chain JD Wetherspoon posted higher third-quarter sales and said that while it was still on course for its full-year profit goal, slowing sales in April had left it cautious concerning its final quarter.

The firm, which has grown to run over 900 pubs on demand for promotions like curry clubs and 'beer and a burger' bargains, on Wednesday said sales for the 13 weeks to April 27 at pubs open over a year rose 6.2 percent, although April had been below par.

"As a result of the slowdown in sales growth in recent weeks and our strong performance in the final quarter of last year, combined with the slightly unpredictable impact of the World Cup, the company retains an element of caution about the exact outcome for the final quarter," Wetherspoon said.

The company said it still expected a "reasonable outcome" for the year as a whole. According to a Reuters poll of 13 analysts, the firm is expected to post a profit of 79 million pounds ($134 million), up 2.7 percent on 2012-13.

Total (NYSE: TOT - news) sales, which includes the impact of new pubs, rose 10.9 percent in its third quarter.

Wetherspoon said its third-quarter operating margin slipped to 8.0 percent from 8.2 percent in the first half, reflecting investment in IT, staff and training, and guided to 8.0 to 8.3 percent for the year, down from 8.7 percent in 2012-13.

The firm is opening 45 new pubs this fiscal year, including its first in Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) , and said it intended to open 30-40 in its next fiscal year.

Shares in Wetherspoon closed at 852 pence on Tuesday, up 42 percent on a year ago, valuing the firm at 1 billion pounds.

($1 = 0.5885 British Pounds) (Reporting by Neil Maidment; Editing by John Stonestreet)