Annual profits reach £1 billionStrong start to new yearSales and profit guidance liftedClothing and homeware retailer Next (NXT) has defied the well-documented macroeconomic doom and gloom by delivering yet another upgrade to sales and earnings guidance.Shares in the retail bellwether bounced 7.5% to £107.20 after annual pre-tax profit breached the £1 billion milestone for the first time...

Business and consumer confidence has been rocked by Rachel Reeves' Budget decisions, yet shares in Next (NXT) remain firmly in positive territory year-to-date with the stock trading close to all-time highs.To retain interest in the story the fashion-to-homewares giant will need to deliver some positive surprises with its full year results, penciled in for 27 March.Investors will be hoping for...

Record full-year revenuesFourth-quarter earnings beatWeak start to new year Spanish clothing retailer Inditex (ITX:BME) fashioned a strong performance in 2024 as its affordable, quality clothing collections continued to resonate with shoppers, and the cash-rich Zara-to-Bershka brands owner also upped its annual dividend by 9% to €1.68 per share.So why was the stock marked down 7% to...

Shares in WH Smith (SMWH) jumped 5% to £12.11 on 27 January after the storied retailer confirmed it was 'exploring potential strategic options' for its High Street business, which opened its first shop in London back in 1792.These options include a potential sale of all 500 High Street stores at a time when bricks-and-mortar retailing faces online competition, subdued footfall and a sharp...

Exploring options for High Street divisionTalks ongoing with prospective buyersFocus on faster-growing Travel armShares in WH Smith (SMWH) were marked up 5.5% to £12.11 on 27 January after the global travel retailer confirmed it is 'exploring potential strategic options' for its storied-yet-struggling High Street business, which opened its first shop in London back in 1792.These include a...

With most of the big names in the retail sector having reported we can get a decent picture of how the sector fared in the run-up to and during the festive period. A weak trading backdrop for non-food retail in October and November, before Santa delivered a return to growth in December, a month that also witnessed a notable shift to online sales according to the latest data (17 January) from...

Strong festive salesOnline and international drive growthTougher FY26 expectedFirst out of the blocks with its Christmas trading statement, fashion and homewares colossus Next (NXT) raised full-year profit guidance yet again following better-than-expected festive trading with online sales growth accelerating in the fourth quarter.Shares in the FTSE 100 retailer ticked up 3% to £98.40 on the...

London's blue chip index was slightly in the red on Friday midday, while US markets are expected to open higher after a weak start on Wall Street on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index traded down 4.69 points, 0.1%, at 8,255.40. The FTSE 250 was down 48.37 points, 0.2%, at 20,591.86, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.19 of a point at 723.54.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 827.28, the Cboe UK 250...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...