Operating profit for WPP jumped 71% to £340.2 million, as cost controls resulted in a slight fall in operating costs.

WPP raised its dividend by 15% to 5.97 pence per share.

Looking ahead, WPP said its revised second-quarter forecasts indicate full-year like-for-like revenues may be higher than the 3.1% growth posted in the first seven months of the year. The result is also expected to exceed current market consensus forecasts of 2.5%.

But WPP tempered this with caution and its shares fell 3% in London. The firm said the second half of the year is likely to be more difficult owing to tougher comparatives, with diluted headline earnings per share in 2010 similar to those of 2008, the previous all-time high.

Rather than a double-dip recession, WPP expects a "slow growth 'slog,'" particularly in the mature geographical markets and traditional media markets.

"In some senses, the recovery will not be over for a long time," WPP said.

By division, the strongest unit for the period was branding and identity, where profit before interest and taxes rose 75% to £104.4 million. The second quarter marked the first quarterly growth in WPP's "traditional" advertising revenue since the third quarter of 2008.

By region, WPP said the U.S. showed "remarkably strong growth", while the U.K. also saw revenues improve substantially. Western European markets remain difficult, with strong growth in Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Turkey, but tough markets in France, Spain and Portugal.