JD Sports profits up but outdoor stores in the red September 18, 2013 BRITISH retailer JD Sports yesterday posted a surge in first-half profits, with a strong performance in the firm’s core sports offering offsetting continued losses from its fashion and outdoor stores. Pre-tax profits excluding exceptional items rose to £10m from £2.9m in the first half of 2012. The firm posted a record performance in its core [...]
Bottom Line: Results are also a game of two halves September 18, 2013 LUCKY for JD Sports that rival JJB went into administration at the end of last year. That helped it to score a 7.5 per cent increase in like-for-like sports sales in the UK and Ireland in the first half, with group profit before tax up 111 per cent to £6.1m. Without it, these results could [...]
JD sports sees profit more than double September 18, 2013 Sports retailer JD sports has reported profit before tax up 111 per cent for the 26 week period to 3 August, at £6.087m from 2.879m in the same period of 2012. (Release) Like for like sales in the UK and Ireland were up 7.5 per cent. Basic earnings per ordinary share were at 10.19p – [...]
London Report: Drop in inflation unlikely to help consumers long September 15, 2013 CONSUMERS are likely to receive a small piece of good news this week, with the inflation rate edging down for August. But the upbeat data is likely to come before more rising prices, as analysts predict consumer price inflation will reach three per cent soon. The inflation news, out tomorrow, is part of a slew [...]
London Report: UK retailers set to reveal if tills ringing again September 8, 2013 RETAILERS are set to reveal this week how big an impact the UK recovery is making as consumers return the shops. Reports from Dunelm, Home Retail, Morrisons, Next, Ocado and Sports Direct will show how confident buyers are in the improving economy. Ocado, which will update the market on Thursday, was rated a “buy” by [...]
Business contests aren’t just vanity February 3, 2013 ERNST & Young has just opened nominations for its UK Entrepreneur of the Year competition. Previous category winners have included Hilary Devey of BBC’s Dragon’s Den (and more impressively, founder of Pall-Ex, the freight company), and the former boss of JD Sports Peter Cowgill. Certainly, of the many competitions out there, Ernst & Young’s has [...]
Burberry tops FTSE 100 January 15, 2013 The leading share index was modestly higher in early deals, as Burberry was the star performer following an upbeat trading statement. The British luxury brand soared 5.2 per cent on the FTSE 100 this morning, as investors were cheered by its latest trading statement. Revenue over the third quarter jumped nine per cent, thanks to [...]
The good, the bad January 10, 2013 THE DIVIDED state of the UK retail sector was brought into sharp focus yesterday as an upbeat Tesco and Shop Direct claimed victory in the Christmas retail wars, while Marks and Spencer suffered the fallout of a worse-than-expected festive period. Following muted performances by rivals Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, a resurgent Tesco revealed its strongest sales [...]
High street and high-end shops to reveal holiday performances January 7, 2013 A HOST of retailers are due to give a glimpse of how they have performed over the key Christmas period this week. Marks & Spencer is expected to reveal a bruising set of numbers in its trading statement on Thursday. Nomura expects the high street giant to post UK like-for-like sales 1.4 per cent lower [...]
FTSE up despite regulatory probes December 6, 2012 The FTSE 100 was up in early trading, rising 0.4 per cent to break through the important 5,900 barrier, with some of the main share price moves driven by regulatory investigations. Rolls-Royce fell heavily after admitting that it was co-operating with the Serious Fraud Office on a probe into potential corruption and bribery at its [...]