Grocery retailer Woolworths Ltd has reiterated its guidance for fiscal 2010, quoting that it hopes net profit after tax to grow in the range of 8 to 11 per cent, after posting a 4.6 per cent rise in second quarter sales, excluding petrol with first-half sales up six per cent to $24.42 billion.

However, investors were not impressed amidst worries about how sales results would reflect in the second half without a backing by the Government stimulus boost.

"Woolworths second-quarter sales results showed a deterioration in growth in most divisions", Citigroup said in a note to clients.

In addition, it reported that its combined sales for the half year, including petrol, rose 4.2 per cent to $27.2 billion, compared to $26.11 billion in the prior year.

And sales from the company's supermarkets division witnessed a climb of 4.3 per cent to $11.58 billion in the second quarter, with Australian food and liquor sales up 5.9 per cent to $9.14 billion, compared to last year.

Woolworths speculates its overall 2010 sales to grow in the upper single digits, excluding petrol, with earnings before interest and tax expected to grow faster than sales.

Woolworths shares witnessed a 2.47 per cent weakness at $26.80, against a 1.5 per cent fall on the benchmark index.