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...

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...