First-half profit beat UK sales growth to slow Full-year guidance unchanged Shares in Next (NXT) cheapened 5.2% to £114 on the absence of another profit upgrade from the best-in-class British retailer, which has already hiked year-to-January 2026 guidance three times so far this financial year. Also spooking the market was the Simon Wolfson-led retailer's warning that UK sales growth will...

In our penultimate issue in the current weekly format the Shares team identifies some of the actively-managed funds and trusts they like the best from the thousands on offer to UK investors. We have not used any specific selection criteria to come up with our list, these are just our writers' best ideas based on our assessment of the relevant vehicle's track record, management and investment...

CEO Simon Wolfson's 'Big Picture' thoughts on the business and the growth avenues ahead, as well as his read on the UK consumer, will be in focus when Next (NXT) delivers first-half results on 18 September. Shareholders will be hoping the fashion-to-homewares seller has maintained its positive trading momentum with the all-important golden quarter in sight. Only the bravest souls would be...

London's blue chip index ended the day lower on Friday, despite earlier advances, as a weaker-than-expected US employment report sparked fears that its jobs engine might be stalling. 'The [US] labour market is in a precarious position,' said analysts at Wells Fargo, putting the Federal Open Market Committee in a position 'where it will imminently start cutting the federal funds rate.' The FTSE...

Dr Martens (DOCS) 88.6p Market cap: £847.5 million Life as a public company for iconic British shoe brand Dr Martens (DOCS) has been far from smooth sailing. The company promised healthy profit margins, mid-teens revenue growth and 'operational excellence' when the company floated in January 2021 at 370p, giving the unique boot brand a £3.7 billion market capitalisation. It is easy in...

UK retail stocks came under pressure on Tuesday (26 Aug) after analysts at Deutsche Bank downgraded the sector citing an anticipated slowdown in consumer spending. The analysts highlighted discretionary spending growth falling to 3% in the second half from 7% in the first half, which was buoyed by sunny weather. The bank believes the back end of 2024 and the first half of 2025 may turn out to...

A recent report from consultants McKinsey explored the subject of what long-term 'intrinsic investors' want from companies and how in return companies can benefit from the presence of a strong a stable shareholder base. The bottom line is a strong, stable shareholder base tends to lead to higher returns, not just for businesses but for their investors too, creating a kind of virtuous circle....

Q2 sales up 10.5% Profit outlook hiked again But lower UK growth expected Best-in-class British retailer Next (NXT) delivered its third upgrade to full-year 2026 profit guidance in 2025-to-date after warm weather boosted sales of seasonal ranges in the second quarter and the company benefited from disruption at arch-rival Marks & Spencer (MKS). The FTSE 100 fashion-to-homewares seller...

Inditex (ITX:BME) €43.6 Market cap: €136 billion A 15% year-to-date share-price decline presents a buying opportunity at Inditex (ITX:BME), the Spanish clothing colossus with a strong long-run track record and the balance sheet strength to tough out what should prove a short-term growth slowdown. While the Zara brand owner faces intense competition from H&M (HM-B:STO), Next (NXT) and...

The Nasdaq 100 index has been one of the best performing indices of the last 25 years, returning 8.8% since January 2000. To put that in pounds and pence, £10,000 invested in the index would now be worth £84,473, even throwing some shade on the broader US stock market in the form of the S&P 500, which is itself no slouch on the performance front. The Nasdaq 100 index is comprised of the...

Flat first-quarter profits Growth rate halves at start of Q2 Competition remains fierce Inditex (ITX:BME) shares slipped 5% lower to €46.77 in Madrid after the Spanish clothing colossus delivered softer-than-expected first-quarter sales and flagged a slower start to this year's summer selling season. Regarded as a consumer barometer given its 5,600-odd stores in 214 markets, the Zara...

Next CEO sells £12.4 million shares Mobico director buys €98.325 shares Canal+ director snaps up 40,000 shares Simon Wolfson, CEO of Next (NXT) has sold 100,000 shares at £123.62 for a total value of £12.4 million on 9 May. Wolfson's sale comes after the FTSE 100 clothing colossus reported strong first quarter sales - £55 million ahead of the company's previous guidance. There could...

Warm weather boosts Q1 takings PBT guidance lifted by £14 million M&S' troubles a potential tailwind Despite the pressures facing the retail sector, fashion-to-homewares purveyor Next (NXT) hiked profit guidance again after warm spring weather stoked stronger-than-expected sales in the first quarter, sending the shares up 1.1% to £124.30. Guided by CEO Simon Wolfson, the retail star turn...

Next directors sell 50,000 shares Saga director buys 1,479,385 shares Alliance Witan director buys £113,058 shares Jane Shields, group sales marketing and HR director at clothing and homeware retailer Next (NXT) (and a related party) have sold 22,000 shares at £109.87 for a total value of £2,417,164 and 28,000 shares at £109.87 for a total value of £3,076,391 on 1 April. > More detailed...

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...