Ongoing market share gains Current trading remains resilient DFS passes the dividend Shares in DFS Furniture (DFS) rose 3.7% to 156p after the sofa seller delivered forecast-beating profits for the year to 29 June 2025 and insisted it can generate profit growth in the current year, despite a subdued specialist upholstery market, driven by margin progression and cost discipline. DFS' orders...

Strong end to year drives upgrades Market share gains accelerating Savings delivered ahead of schedule After battling a period where consumers were reluctant to make big ticket purchases, DFS Furniture (DFS) is sitting comfortably after delivering better-than-expected earnings for the year to June 2025. DFS shares rose 5.5% to a two-year high of 174p in early dealings after the sofa seller...

Shares in DFS Furniture (DFS) have rallied 16% year-to-date to 163p, taking one-year gains to almost 50%, following an unexpected profit upgrade from the sofa seller and hopes the Bank of England's interest rate cuts will boost big-ticket spending. Green shoots of recovery are emerging at DFS, the UK's living-room and upholstered furniture leader, which in March revealed adjusted pre-tax...

Weaker trends across broader marketGains in UK & Ireland, France, Poland'Encouraging' big-ticket sales in Q4Kingfisher (KGF) shares were the FTSE 100's biggest faller on 25 March, slumping 12% to 246.5p after the home improvement retailer reported declines in full-year revenue and profit amid weaker demand for big-ticket items.The B&Q-to-Castorama owner faced particular challenges in France,...

First half profits doubledRobust trading continues in second halfProfit guidance upgradedShareholders in DFS Furniture (DFS) were sitting comfortably after the sofa seller delivered a near-doubled first half profits and upgraded its full year profit expectations, sending the stock up 11.5% to a two-year high of 146p.After a spell in the doldrums, green shoots of recovery are emerging at the...

London's FTSE 100 outperformed its European peers on Thursday morning, as investors continue to move with caution amid US tariff concerns.US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports triggered retaliatory action from the EU and Canada on Wednesday.China on Thursday called for 'dialogue' with Washington to resolve spiralling trade tensions that have seen the world's...

Order intake up 10.1%Profits to be first-half weightedManagement cautious on strength of consumerSofa seller DFS Furniture (DFS) enjoyed better-than-forecast orders in the half to 29 December 2024 that included the Christmas run-in.As a result, DFS expects to deliver first-half pre-tax profits in the £16 million to £17 million range, nearly double the £9 million delivered last year.Yet...

Uptick in orders continuesTrading in line with expectationsNew CFO John Fallon namedOn the day the ONS (Office for National Statistics) announced disappointing retail sales for October as Budget uncertainty sapped spending, DFS Furniture (DFS) defied the doom and gloom with news of robust orders growth into the new financial year.The reassuring update will come as a relief to shareholders, who...

Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more...

Adjusted profits down 65.7%Final dividend passedMarket growth 'could soon return'Indebted sofa seller DFS Furniture (DFS) lurched into loss for the year to June 2024 and passed the final dividend following a year marred by weak spending on big ticket items and Red Sea supply disruption.Yet shares in the clear UK living room furniture leader ticked up 2.5% to 117.8p in early dealings on...

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...

Ultimate Products (ULTP) 131.5pLoss to date: 15.7%We flagged Ultimate Products (ULTP) on 18 April 2024 as a compelling way to play the UK consumer recovery on the basis the market was undervaluing the group's brand strength, resilient business model and multiple growth opportunities.Our bull case for the homeware products brand manager behind the likes of Salter and Beldray also hinged on...

Higher-than-expected shipping costsUpholstery market 'very weak'But orders up 9% in Q4Sofa seller DFS Furniture (DFS) has coughed up its second profit warning this year, pinning the blame on weak consumer spending and Red Sea disruption, news that sent shares in the Doncaster-based retailer down 11% to 100.2p.In March, the UK living room furniture leader warned pre-tax profits for the year to...

Stocks in London trod a disparate path, ahead of UK inflation data, which could dictate events on Thursday when the Bank of England makes its latest decision on interest rates.The FTSE 100 index rose 15.75 points, 0.2%, at 7,738.30. But the FTSE 250 ended down 53.72 points, 0.3%, at 19,432.81, and the AIM All-Share fell 1.07 points, 0.2%, at 735.56.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.2% to 774.76, the Cboe...

H1 orders softened 1.1%Sales guidance downgradedCost cuts underpin profit forecastSofa specialist DFS Furniture (DFS) has trimmed its sales guidance for the year to June 2024 by roughly £40 million to reflect weaker than expected demand in a ?challenging? living room and upholstered furniture market.However, shares in the Doncaster-headquartered retailer rose almost 1.5% to 112.4p after the...

We are now a little more than a fortnight away from Christmas Day with TV adverts pushing festive products, high streets adorned with Christmas decorations and shops flush with discount offers.The so-called 'Golden Quarter' including Black Friday is the most hotly contested period of the year amongst retailers and those that suffer disappointing sales or resort to overly-promotional strategies...

ScS shareholders will receive 280p per shareDeal worth £99.4 millionRival DFS shares up nearly 10%Shares in ScS (SCS) soared over 60% in morning trading after the sofa and carpet specialist accepted a cash offer of 270p and a final dividend of 10 pence per share from Italian furniture retailer Poltronesofa.Poltronesofa is a pan-European sofa retailer based in Italy offering...

Shares in DFS Furniture (DFS) have lost nearly 30% of their value so far in 2023 as the sofa seller has struggled with weak demand and inflationary pressures.In the company's recent set of results, DFS saw its full year profits for the 12 months to 25 June almost halve to £29.7 million compared to last year. DFS's revenue was also down 5.3% to £1.08 billion.The company reduced its total...

Despite inflationary pressures and a cost-of-living crisis that is squeezing consumers' real disposable income, shares in household name retailers with nationwide physical store footprints have rallied hard since the back end of 2022.They include British retail institution Marks & Spencer (MKS), variety goods discounter B&M (BME), cut-price greeting cards seller Card Factory (CARD), athleisure...

- Value sofa seller delivers resilient results- Positive order momentum over past two months- Snug acquisition bedding in nicelyShares in ScS (SCS) rallied 4.7% to 188.5p after the sofa, flooring and furniture seller delivered resilient first half results and reiterated full year guidance, avoiding the earnings downgrade disappointment delivered by rival DFS Furniture (DFS) last week.Despite...