It promised to lift the proportion of profits paid to investors from a third to a half as it unveiled a 14 per cent jump in underlying profits to £30.1million on revenues up 27 per cent to £99.4million.

The shares rose 2dp to 79p as it said the half-year dividend would be 1.3p. Moneysupermarket said it hoped the success of its price comparison services would help it survive Barclays’ decision to close its First Plus lending unit.

First Plus accounted for 10 per cent of Money supermarket’s revenues.

Moneysupermarket floated at 170p a share in July 2007, netting its founder Simon Nixon £100million. He warned yesterday that sector competition had intensified.