* Half of $4.1 bln new business from first-time clients

* H1 underlying operating profit up 12% to $1.84 bln,

organic revenue rises 7.2%

* Shares up more than 4%

May 11 (Reuters) - Compass Group ( CMPGF ) raised its 2026

profit outlook on Monday, as the world's largest caterer bet on

demand for workplace dining and new contract wins to offset

rising concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on

office-based clients.

The company, which serves office workers at the likes of

Google, Amazon ( AMZN ), and Microsoft ( MSFT ), said

it expects full-year underlying operating profit growth above

11%, up from about 10% forecast earlier.

Its shares rose more than 4% in early trade, putting it

among the top gainers in the benchmark FTSE 100 index.

The upgraded forecast underscores the resilience of the

food services sector as companies increasingly outsource

catering operations amid rising costs, with Compass noting that

half of its $4.1 billion in new business came from first-time

clients.

Compass has been pushing into new sectors including defence

contracts, airline lounges outside North America and data

centres globally to diversify its revenue stream and offset

potential headwinds from AI and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

About 20% of its revenue comes from technology, professional and

financial services clients, exposing it to investor concerns

about AI disrupting office-based work, though CEO Dominic

Blakemore said in February the company was well-placed to

address any risks.

The caterer is also keeping an eye on the effect of

weight-loss drugs on its business model as the medications

suppress appetite. Compass, which serves everything from basic

cafeteria meals to premium fine dining, has said it has not seen

a material impact from the drugs so far.

It said underlying operating profit for the six months

ended March 31 jumped 12% to $1.84 billion, as the company

benefited from synergies from recent deals including its

largest-ever acquisition of European premium food services

business Vermaat.

Organic revenue grew 7.2%.

Compass' results contrast with French rival Sodexo,

which cut its annual sales and profitability targets in April,

citing execution challenges and contract reviews.