* Turnover in H2 so far ahead of same period last year
* H1 pretax profit 29.7 million sterling, up 12 percent
* H1 dividend 0.24 pence, up 20 percent
* CEO Wilson says doesn't want M&S job
* Shares down 3.3 percent from Monday's 3-year high
(Adds detail, CEO, analyst comments, shares)
By James Davey
LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Britain's largest cash-and-carry wholesaler Booker Group Plc said it was trading well in its second half as initiatives on product choice, price and service paid off.
"Group turnover in the first period of the second-half is ahead of the same period last year," Chief Executive Charles Wilson said on Tuesday, after the company reported a 12 percent rise in pretax profit in the first half of the year.
"Overall, Booker continues to trade in line with management expectations," Wilson said.
Wilson, a former lieutenant to Marks & Spencer Plc Executive Chairman Stuart Rose, ruled himself out of succeeding Rose as CEO.
"I'm 100 percent committed to Booker, everybody knows it, all the headhunters know it, so it's not the M&S job, it's not any job I'm in the market for," Wilson, who holds an 8.3 percent stake in Booker, told reporters.
Shares in Booker were down 3.3 percent at 43.75 pence by 0747 GMT, having spiked up on Monday to their highest close in more than three years.
The stock has more than doubled over the last year, outperforming the FTSE All Share General Retailers Index by 62 percent, and trades on around 15 times forecast earnings, among the highest in its UK sector, according to Reuters data.
FAR ENOUGH
"Although ongoing growth prospects remain exciting, the shares have probably run far enough for now," said analyst Matthew McEachran at Singer Capital Markets.
Booker, which runs over 173 branches supplying convenience stores, grocers, pubs, restaurants, schools and prisons, said it made a pretax profit of 29.7 million pounds ($46.9 million) in the 24 weeks to Sept. 11 on sales up 7.7 percent to 1.6 billion.
Like-for-like non-tobacco sales increased 9.4 percent and like-for-like tobacco sales were up 5.1 percent.
Wilson said Booker had increased its market share with independent caterers and retailers by improving product choice, keeping prices competitive and enhancing customer service.
"If the economy picks up I think we and everybody would be happy with that, but we're planning on it being tough for quite a while to come," he said.
British retail sales rose at their fastest annual pace in five months in September, but the rise was skewed by a slump in sales last year and the timing of the August bank holiday, according to a survey on Tuesday.
Booker, which returned to the stock market in 2007 and moved in July to the main market from the junior AIM, ended the half with net debt of 4 million pounds, down from 25 million at the end of March. It will pay an interim dividend of 0.24 pence, up 20 percent.
The group opened its first overseas branch in Mumbai, India last month. (Editing by Mark Potter and David Holmes) ($1=.6333 Pound)