Ideal surges after sales to boost dividend

Shares in TV home-shopping group Ideal jumped by 10%, or 16p, to 171½p after it reported a strong start to the year and said it would restart dividend payments at the half year.

The group, which runs four channels led by IdealWorld, said sales were up 18% on a year ago, including its January acquisition of The Good Life. It said first-half profits would be "substantially better" than the same period in 2009.