Groupe Christian Dior, which controls the Christian Dior Couture fashion design business and luxury product giant LVMH, reported on Monday that first-half profits had surged by 58.6 percent. Net profit after minority payments was 157 million euros from 99 million euros in the same period of last year. Operating profit rose by 14.0 percent to 1.006 billion euros from 880 million euros and net current profit by 36 percent to 217 million euros from 159 million euros.

The group said that it expected Christian Dior Couture to achieve a strong increase in operating profit in the full year after a very strong performance in July and August. Trends for Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) were also highly favourable and the group stood by a forecast that operating profits for the year would rise strongly.