* FY pretax profit 151 mln stg, in line with guidance
* Net debt reduced to 517 mln stg
* Expects to resume dividend at interim 2011
* Says makes good start to 2010-11 year, expects progress
* Debenhams shares up 4 pct at 74.45 p, index up 0.4 pct (Adds detail, CEO, analyst comment, shares)
By James Davey
LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Debenhams, Britain's number two department store group, said a plan to reinstate its dividend in 2011 did not mean acquisitions were off the table as the firm posted an expected 21 percent rise in full-year profit.
The retailer, which trades from 167 stores in Britain, Ireland and Denmark, and 60 franchised outlets in 23 countries, said on Thursday it expected to resume dividend payments in April.
"Because we pay a dividend doesn't rule out (acquisitions) ... We still would have firepower if we wanted to look at other things. The free cash flow is incredibly strong," Chief Executive Rob Templeman told reporters.
The company's debt of 517 million pounds ($816.3 million) was down at less than 1.8 times net debt to EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), he said, adding the company was generating cash, investing 130 million pounds in capex and would still have strong cash flow.
Last year, Debenhams purchased Danish department stores firm Magasin du Nord for 12.3 million pounds and Templeman has said he was keen to do more deals in western Europe, with further purchases in other Nordic areas most likely.
Templeman said some shareholders were keen on a dividend payout while others wanted the firm to focus on acquisitions.
"If we can do both that would please everybody," he said.
Debenhams shares, which returned to the stock market at 195 pence in 2006 after 2-1/2 years in private equity hands, have increased by over a quarter over the last three months, outperforming an 8 percent rise in the general retailers index.
The stock was up 4.13 percent at 74.45 pence by 0904 GMT, valuing the business at about 974 million pounds. The FTSE All Share index was up 0.39 percent.
"We believe the business should deliver double digit earnings growth with a further bolt-on acquisition a possibility," said Seymour Pierce analyst Kate Calvert.
Debenhams said profit before tax and one-off items rose to 151 million pounds in the year to Aug. 28, in line with company guidance, and up from 125.2 million pounds in 2008-09.
Debenhams, ranked second after employee-owned department store group John Lewis by sales, said revenue increased 9.6 percent to 2.56 billion pounds, as the firm won market share in menswear and childrenswear.
Sales at stores open at least a year were flat compared with the previous 12-month period, while gross profit margins were up 70 basis points as the firm moved over 530,000 square feet of trading space from concessions to its own products.
Templeman said although he remained concerned about the general retail environment in the wake of the public sector cuts announced by the government on Wednesday, he was encouraged by the start to its new financial year with both underlying sales and gross margin positive.
"Anything that takes money out of people's pockets will affect all retailers. It just means we have to work a bit harder," said the CEO.
But he still forecast more growth in 2010-11 as Debenhams benefits from the space changes, more stores, growth online and overseas.
Separately on Thursday, official data said British retail sales fell unexpectedly for the second month in a row in September.
($1=.6333 Pound)
(Editing by Julie Crust, Sharon Lindores)