(Reuters) - Support services firm DCC Plc (>> DCC plc) forecast full-year profit ahead of market consensus on Monday, citing benefits from acquisitions and strong trading across its business, especially its energy unit, that helped it post higher first-half profit.

Dublin-based DCC, which gets about half of its profit from Britain and Ireland, also agreed to buy 97 percent of French natural gas retail and marketing business Gaz Europeen for an enterprise value of 110 million euros (96 million pounds).

Shares in DCC, whose activities range from distributing oil to making Body Shop's body butters and distributing Xbox to retailers Argo (>> Argo Group Ltd) and Amazon (>> Amazon.com, Inc.), rose almost 9 percent, making it London's top bluechip gainer <.FTSE>.

DCC has been expanding into western Europe through acquisitions, especially seeking purchases opportunities to purchase distribution and market assets from oil majors as they slim down their portfolio to ride out an oil price slump.

Although customers had shown some hesitancy in the immediate aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, DCC's UK business had since performed "exactly in line" with its expectations, Chief Executive Tommy Breen said.

"In the week, or 10 days, immediately after the vote everybody was a little uncertain, but since our business has been performing exactly (how) we expected," Breen told Reuters.

Some support services companies, including Capita Plc (>> Capita PLC) and Mitie Group Plc (>> Mitie Group PLC), have warned of delays in decision making by customers following the Brexit vote.

DCC said the acquisition of Gaz Europeen, expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, would help it grow in the French liquefied petroleum gas market, building off its purchase of French gas firm Butagaz from Shell last year.

The company said it expected operating profit to be significantly ahead of the 300.5 million pounds posted in the last year ended March 31, 2016 and beat market consensus of 340 million pounds.

Davy analysts hiked their full-year earnings per share forecast by 4 percent to 300 pence and target price to 7,500 pence from 7,200 pence.

Excluding net exceptionals and amortisation of intangible assets, DCC's profit grew 33.3 percent to 117.8 million pounds in the six months ended Sept. 30, beating analysts' expectations.

DCC raised its dividend by 12.5 percent to 37.17 pence.

"The results reflect the continued execution of DCC's strategy to grow the business organically, deliver a very strong cash flow performance and redeploy capital at attractive rates of return," AJ Bell Investment director Russ Mould said.

($1 = 0.9264 euros)

($1 = 0.8009 pounds)

(Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)

By Esha Vaish