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Strong cash flow prompts JB's buyback

Company intends to buy back up to 10 per cent of its shares

JB Hi-Fi Ltd's strong cash flow has prompted it to buy back as much as 10 per cent of its shares, driving the company's stock price higher despite a reduction in guidance.

Shares in the electronics retailer was up $1.37, or 7.42 per cent, to a five-month high of $19.83 on Tuesday.

JB Hi-Fi on Tuesday cut its full year profit guidance due to costs associated with the restructuring of discount electrical retailing brand Clive Anthonys.

The company said it intended to buy back up to 10 per cent, or $170 million, of its shares through an off market buy-back.

The cost of the buy-back would be $700,000 about one month's financing cost.

JB Hi-Fi's chief executive, Terry Smart, said the company would buy back shares because of ongoing strong cash flow generation.

"We continue to take a prudent approach to the management of our balance sheet and we are now in a position to return capital whilst still maintaining financial flexibility to invest in growth opportunities," Smart said.

The company said net profit for the 12 months to June was now likely to be $108.5 million to $113.5 million, compared with the previous forecast of between $134 million and $139 million.

The fall is due mainly to a $24.8 million charge to restructure the Clive Anthonys business.

The charge follows a strategic review of the business, which comprises 10 stores with forecast revenue for the full year of about $140 million.

The strategic review followed several years of disappointing returns for the business, which deteriorated further in the first half, the company said.

JB Hi-Fi also appointed former chief executive, Richard Uechtritz, as a non-executive director, a move signalled when Uechtritz retired as CEO in February 2010.

The company also appointed Beth Laughton as a director, while Will Fraser will retire from the board in September.

Fat Prophets analyst, Greg Fraser, said the company was working with excess capital as it moved ahead with expansion plans.

"It's an interesting move, particularly for a big retailer and one that has quite a large expansion plan on its books for a bigger number of stores over a wider number of years," Fraser said.

"You would think they would be happy to plough that money into that development but clearly they've got excess capital beyond what they need for their store expansion."

He said JB Hi-Fi shareholders had always been well looked after with the payment of fully franked dividends.

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