Indices in London ended the session in the green on a mixed day for retailers on Black Friday as US equities pushed higher in a shortened trading session.The FTSE 100 index rose 6.08 points, 0.1%, at 8,287.30. The FTSE 250 climbed 8.79 points, at 20,771.57, and the AIM All-Share firmed 1.58 points, 0.2%, at 732.49.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, the FTSE 250 advanced 0.9% and the AIM All-Sha

To date, a small, exclusive club of UK retailers have exceeded £1 billion in annual profits, a high street elite that includes Tesco (TSCO), Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Kingfisher (KGF). Some may view this £1 billion figure as merely symbolic, but breaching this barrier is no mean feat and demonstrates a retailer has a lasting place in consumers' affections and the scale to win in a competitive ma

Budget day upgradeQ3 full price sales up 7.6%Annual profit guidance hiked to £1 billionRetail star turn Next (NXT) has raised its year-to-January 2025 profit guidance for the third time in three months after this year's early arrival of cold weather boosted its third quarter sales.Shares in the FTSE 100 company ticked up 1.5% to £102 as the fashion giant upgraded its full-year pre-tax profit gui

European stocks ended largely lower on Tuesday, with a weaker oil price weighing on the FTSE 100, while the pound climbed after UK unemployment data.The FTSE 100 index closed down 43.38 points, or 0.5%, at 8,249.28. The FTSE 250 ended down 22.75 points, or 0.1%, at 20,794.44, while the AIM All-Share closed up 0.09 of a point at 733.86.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.3% at 827.20, the Cboe UK 250 clos

Stock prices in London continued to stay in the red at midday Tuesday as investors await an interest rate decision from the European Central Bank on Thursday, and the UK government's upcoming budget due late this month.The FTSE 100 index was down 45.57 points, or 0.6%, at 8,246.89. The FTSE 250 was down 12.40 points, or 0.1%, at 20,804.79, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.71 points, or 0.1%, at 73

£300 million sale to Crane NXTDeal transforms De La Rue balance sheetShares rally to two-year highDe La Rue's (DLAR) shares rallied 15.5% to a two-year high of 108.5p after the Bank of England banknote printer announced a deal to sell its authentication division to US-based industrial technology company Crane NXT for £300 million.Set to complete in the first half of 2025, the disposal will help

Stock prices in London were mixed on Tuesday morning as new data showed UK wage growth eased in the three months to August, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Monday warned her budget will be 'tough'.The FTSE 100 index opened down 9.83 points, or 0.1%, at 8,282.13. The FTSE 250 was up 31.91 points, or 0.2%, at 20,849.10, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.28 points at 734.05.The Cboe UK 100 was st

Next executive director sells £2.6 million sharesRamsdens director sells 125,000 sharesGreggs director sells £1.85 million sharesJeremy Stakol, executive director at fashion and homeware retailer Next (NXT) and his wife Marcelle Stakol have sold 26,523 shares at £98.79 for a total value of £2.6 million on 10 October.Stakol's move comes after the company raised its year-to-January-2025 profit g

The list of company directors selling more than £1 million worth of shares since Labour got into power three months ago is growing. It's as if they can see the writing on the wall with a potential hike to capital gains tax in the Budget on 30 October.By crystalising value from their investments now they can avoid handing over more of their wealth to the taxman should we see substantial changes to

Posh handbag maker Mulberry (MUL:AIM) has rejected (1 October) a potential £83 million takeover proposal from Frasers (FRAS), Mike Ashley's sprawling retail conglomerate.Like Lord Wolfson's Next (NXT), Frasers is expanding its stable of brands through acquisitions of, and investments in, distressed retail assets and on 30 September, proposed a 130p cash offer for Mulberry. However, the embattled

Next CEO sells £29 million sharesDunelm founder's son sells 10 million sharesHollywood Bowl director sells 275,000 sharesSimon Wolfson, CEO of clothing retailer Next (NXT) has sold three tranches of shares during the period 20 to 24 September.Wolfson sold 204,349 shares at £100.65 for a total value of £20,568,376; 57,962 shares at £101.57 at a total value of £5,887.051 and 27,689 at £100.04

Retailer inches towards £1 billion profit markPre-tax profit guidance increased by £15 million'Exceptional' growth overseasClothing and homewares retailer Next (NXT) has raised its year-to-January-2025 profit guidance for the second time in two months.In fact, the high street stalwart is now on the verge of joining the £1 billion pre-tax profit club, quite an achievement considering the difficu

London's FTSE 100 prospered in early trading on Thursday after the US central bank cut rates by a hefty 50 basis points.The FTSE 100 index added 56.60 points, 0.7%, at 8,310.28. The FTSE 250 added 168.08 points, 0.8%, at 21,003.39, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.30 points, 0.3%, at 744.86.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.7% to 832.14, the Cboe UK 250 added 0.8% to 18,528.62, and the Cboe Small Companies rose

Q2 full-price sales up 3.2%Full-year guidance raisedShares close in on £100Shares in Next (NXT) rose 8% to an all-time high of £98.30 as the fashion and homeware retailer reported a forecast-beating rise in second-quarter sales and raised its outlook for the full year yet again. OVERSEAS SALES BOOSTFor the 13 weeks to 27 July, full-price sales - which include all items sold in Next Retail

Gloomy start to summer spendingJune volumes worse than fearedPoor showing from weather-sensitive categoriesRetail sales fell in June as colder-than-average weather conditions and election uncertainty dampened consumer spending, with sales across department stores and clothing categories faring especially poorly.Last month's disappointing sales decline came despite hopes of a boost from above-infla

According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), retail sales volumes were much stronger than expected in May, following a wet April, in news which will be welcomed by the sector's long-suffering constituents.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrap

Retail bellwether Marks & Spencer's (MKS) latest results (22 May) suggest the food, fashion and furniture seller has embarked on the turnaround which has been long in the making with many false dawns down the years.Shares in the FTSE 100 retailer are at a fresh five-year high of 300p following the delivery of forecast-beating full-year figures and a first final dividend since 2019. Yet despite the

Market share gains in clothing and foodFull-year dividend restoredCost savings target increasedShares in Marks & Spencer (MKS) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Wednesday, rallying 9.1% to a five-year high of 298.6p after the retail giant's full-year results breezed past consensus estimates, prompting Shore Capital to proclaim that 'M&S is back baby!'.Chief executive Stuart Machin's turnaround p

It has been a turbulent couple of months for value retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE), which seems to have metamorphosed from cost-of-living-crisis winner to stock market pariah on the strength of a single comment by chief executive Anthony Smith.In the firm?s extremely brief AGM statement in mid-March, Smith celebrated a successful year of growth in 2023 while cautioning current-year trading was ?marginal

Full-price sales up 5.7%Full-year guidance unchangedFirm outperforming the marketHigh-street retailer Next (NXT) beat expectations with its first-quarter trading update but tempered its outlook for the second quarter so as to leave its full-year guidance unchanged.Traders took the opportunity to top-slice the shares, which have gained over 12% this year, sending them lower by 72p or 0.8%. O