Wetherspoons has reported a 5.1% jump in like-for-like (LFL) sales for the three months to 20 July, against the same period last year.

The pub group revealed that its entire year-to-date LFL sales are also up by 5.1% against 2024.

Wetherspoons was posting a pre-close trading update for the market, before it posts its preliminary results later in the year on 3 October.

It also revealed that in the year so far it has opened three pubs and sold nine, taking the current Wetherspoons pub tally to 794.

So far in the financial year, Wetherspoons has also purchased more than 10.5 million of its own shares for cancellation at an average price of £6.26 a share. The company revealed that it anticipates its year-end net debt to be approximately £720m, with headroom under existing facilities of approximately £220m.

Wetherspoons chairman, Tim Martin, said: “The company has benefitted from favourable weather in the fourth quarter, so that profits are anticipated to be in line with market expectations, notwithstanding the high tax and labour increases for the hospitality industry, which have been widely reported.

“In the next financial year, as well as investing in areas such as staff rooms, glass racks for ‘branded’ glasses, and gardens, the company plans to open approximately 15 new managed pubs and about the same number of franchised pubs.

“Sales volumes, which were very slow post-pandemic, have recently overtaken pre-pandemic levels.”

Head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, Derren Nathan, commented that despite the impact of Wetherspoons’ increased labour costs, analyst forecasts expect the company’s operating profit to land “a little ahead of last year” at close to £140m.

“The group has been trimming the tail of its estate by dropping underperforming units and is now leveraging its efficient operating model and brand strength to grab further market share,” added Nathan.

“Its ambitions for new openings next year have risen from 10 to 15, with a similar number planned for the capital-light option of franchised units. Flagging consumer confidence remains a near-term threat but, overall, Wetherspoons looks in good shape with the shares offering reasonable value, compared to the peer group.”

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