By Mike Cherney

SYDNEY--Australian supermarket operator Coles Group Ltd. said fiscal first-half profit rose as many consumers continued to spend more time at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Coles said net profit rose by 15% to 560 million Australian dollars (US$434 million). Revenue rose 8% to more than A$20 billion.

Coles declared an interim dividend of 33 Australian cents per share, up from 30 cents the prior year.

In the first six weeks of the fiscal third quarter, Coles said that comparable sales at supermarkets had moderated but still rose by 3.3%. It added there continues to be variation in sales performance between states due to short-term outbreaks of the virus.

Write to Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-16-21 1701ET