2 Retail Stocks to Watch
10:33, 28 September 2023
Marks & Spencer (MKS)
Financials:
Marks & Spencer reported strong growth in both its Food and Clothing & Home businesses for the first 19 weeks of the financial year. Food sales increased by over 11%, driven by price changes, while Clothing & Home sales grew by more than 6%, primarily due to in-store growth. Despite economic uncertainties, the company expects significant improvements in full-year profit growth and half-year results compared to previous expectations of modest revenue growth.
Technical View:
Marks & Spencer’s share price has been locked in a powerful uptrend since the turn of the year. Recent price action has seen the shares break out from a wedge pattern and retest trend highs. We are now seeing prices consolidate at trend highs within a series of small candles. This form of high and tight consolidation signals a reluctance to pull back, which suggests that the shares are being accumulated ahead of a potential move higher.
MKS Daily Candle Chart
TradingViewNext (NXT)
Financials:
Next's half-year sales grew 5.4% to £2.6 billion, benefiting from higher wages and warm weather in late spring and early summer. Pre-tax profit rose 4.8% to £419.8 million, driven by increased sales and higher full-price sales of their own-brand products. They improved free cash flow to £438.1 million and reduced net debt to £1.7 billion. Full-year profit guidance was raised to £875 million. Next completed £167 million in share buybacks, plans to spend £52 million more, and announced an interim dividend of 66p per share.
Technical View
Next’s uptrend is decidedly less pretty than Marks & Spencer’s, but we have seen prices carve out a rising series of higher swing lows. This has created a steepening trendline fan which suggests underlying price momentum is increasing. Recent price action has seen the shares pull back to a key area of trend support created by the broken summer swing highs. Should Next’s uptrend continue, we would expect these broken summer swing highs to provide support moving forward.
NXT Daily Candle Chart
TradingViewRisk management
It’s worth noting that despite the robust high street presence of both Marks & Spencer and Next, rising inflation may impact consumer spending. Cost-saving measures from both businesses may not fully offset increased costs, potentially leading to higher prices.
Marks & Spencer are set to release half year earnings on 8th November 2023.
Next are set to release Q3 earnings on 1st November 2023.
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