A busy week on the high street as retailers report
It’s time to hit the high street this week, with a whole host of retailers updating the market. In keeping with that theme, the Office of National Statistics will tomorrow release the Retail Prices Index data for August, which is expected to show that prices fell 1.5 per cent year-on-year, compared to a decline of 1.4 per cent in July.
Debenhams kicks off the week tomorrow with its year-end trading statement, and is expected to say that it plans to restart its store refurbishment programme, which was cancelled a year ago amid expectations of a recession. KBS Peel Hunt expects like-for-like sales to have deteriorated in the final quarter, but leaves its pre-tax profit forecast unchanged at £121.3m.
Budget home-furnishing store Dunelm posts its full-year results tomorrow, having delivered better-than-expected numbers in July.
From furniture to fashion, and Wednesday sees Next post its half-year results and analysts expect positive news. Hargreaves Lansdown attributes this to “management foresight in adjusting trading ahead of the recession and continued cautious management”, while Charles Stanley has predicted pre-tax profit of £185m, up from £174m a year earlier, on revenues of £1.52bn.
“Current guidance for Next Retail like-for-like sales to be down by 3.5 to 6.5 per cent in the second half seems too pessimistic, so we would not be surprised to see guidance raised,” said Charles Stanley’s Sam Hart.
Marks & Spencer is scheduled to issue a trading statement on Thursday, and the market has mixed expectations following the recent Autumn merchandise presentation. Some analysts are becoming more upbeat on the retailer in terms of sales, however price promotions mean that margin concerns linger.
Kingfisher will also be announcing its half-year results. An embarrassing administration error last week – leading to the premature release of the in-house figures and necessitating an emergency trading statement – means that we already know that pre-tax profit is likely to be around £285m to £290m, beating expectations. Also on Thursday, French Connection will report its interims.
Construction firm Kier Group will report its final results. Shares in the company got a boost last week after it announced a 10-year contract win, worth £600m. FTSE Small Cap media firm Centaur Media will also post its final results, while Blue Bay Asset Management and Irn-Bru maker AG Barr will give their full-year figures on Friday.