STOCK WATCH

SHOE Zone has raised profit guidance after better-thanexpected sales.

Shares in the discount shoe retailer soared.

The firm told shareholders yesterday morning that it expects its profits for the past year to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Shoe Zone said its pretax profit for the year to October 2 is expected to have been between £9m and £10m.

The firm had previously guided that it would reveal a profit of at least £6.5m.

This is a big improvement on the £14.6m loss it posted for the previous financial year.

Shares closed up 16pc, or 14.5p, at 105p.