Brewery group Fuller, Smith & Turner has announced strong trading over Christmas and said that momentum was ‘good’ going into this financial year following several acquisitions.

Shares in the company were up 0.53 per cent to 713,75 at 11.45am after it reported a 5.1 per cent rise in like-for-like sales in its managed pubs and hotels division in the nine weeks to 21 January 2012.

It confirmed that like-for-like sales growth for the 42 weeks to 21 January this year was up 4.1 per cent.

In its tenanted inns division, like-for-like profits increased 1 per cent, while own beer volumes for the Fuller’s Beer Company grew 1 per cent over the 42-week period.

Fuller’s revealed that robust Christmas trading saw over 40 of its managed pubs achieve record weeks.

The company maintained a cautious outlook for 2012 but added that it remains confident in its acquisitions pipeline and refurbishment programme.

Chairman Michael Turner said, ‘We have now completed or exchanged on 14 acquisitions so far this financial year which gives us good momentum going into a summer of sport and celebration that should lift the national mood.’

Fuller’s has exchanged on two more pubs that are due to complete at the end of March.

Two of its most recent purchases, The Crown Inn in Bishop’s Waltham and The White Swan Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, are currently closed for work but are due to reopen in March and April respectively.

Net debt was £109.4 million, up from £92.5 million at the half-year following the acquisition of five pubs in November 2011 and £5.1 million of share buy-backs in the quarter.