Accountancy-based financial planning dealer group Count Financial has upgraded its profit outlook for 2008-09, suggesting net profit before tax will fall less than 15 per cent.

The company said the change was due to the improved performance of the company’s investment portfolio. Count was able to confirm its previous guidance on operating profit, which excluded the investment returns, would be down by around 30 per cent on the previous financial year.

It said it could also confirm that the full-year dividend would not be less than 7 cents.