_800x533_L_1412520412.jpg)
(Reuters) - British pubs and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers (L:MAB) said fourth-quarter underlying sales growth fell to 0.1 percent, after trade slumped in August due to a more cautious consumer outlook and higher rainfall than last year.
In the nine weeks to Sept. 20, the company said total like-for-like sales grew 0.1 percent, compared to the 0.7 percent growth recorded in the 42 weeks to July 19, resulting in annual underlying sales growth of 0.6 percent.
Mitchells & Butlers said a tough August followed a pick-up in trade in July following the World Cup football finals.
The company, whose outlets include Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One, said in a statement ahead of its full-year results due in November that margins remained below last year due to lower levels of sales and lower spend per head.
It bought 173 new outlets from Orchid Group in June and said that these were performing in line with expectations.
"Despite a difficult trading period in the last quarter, the transformation of our business is well on track. Coupled with the successful integration of the Orchid estate, this gives us confidence in our future growth prospects," Chief Executive Alistair Darby said in a statement.
Shares in Mitchells & Butlers, which has a market capitalisation of about 1.67 billion pounds, closed at 405.6 pence on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Jason Neely)