Wolseley returns 300 mln stg after strong results

* FY trading profit ahead of consensus at 725 mln pounds

* Good growth in U.S., signs of recovery in Britain

LONDON, Oct (KOSDAQ: 039200.KQ - news) 1 (Reuters) - British plumbing supplies group Wolseley (LSE: WOS.L - news) plans to return 300 million pounds ($486 million) to shareholders after a strong performance in the U.S. and improvements at home helped it to post an 11 percent rise in full-year profit.

The group reported trading profit for the year to the end of July of 725 million pounds, comfortably ahead of a company-supplied consensus of 704 million pounds, sending its shares up 2.9 percent and to the top of the FTSE 100 Index leader board.

Revenue was up 4.1 percent to 12.9 billion pounds.

"We are today proposing a special dividend of 300 million pounds accompanied by a share consolidation which reflects the group's strong financial position and our desire to maintain an efficient and sustainable balance sheet," Chief Executive Ian Meakins said in a statement.

The company, which operates the Plumb Center and Ferguson chains in Britain and the United States, said they had seen good growth in the U.S. and early signs of recovery in Britain, due to improved consumer confidence.

"The UK market has clearly come back a little bit, housing transactions are up 5 percent and housing starts have definitely recovered in the last part of last year," Meakins told reporters, adding that it was too soon to say what the impact would be from the government's Help to Buy mortgage scheme.

"There is general improvement in consumer confidence, there is a little bit of recovery and some of the eco expenditure has had an effect which has probably delivered about an extra 2 or 3 percent growth," he added.

Shares in the company were up 2.9 percent at 0748 GMT.