Next Plc (NXT.L) on Tuesday said full-price sales rose 10.6% in the nine weeks to December 27, exceeding its quarterly guidance of 7% growth. On the back of this outperformance and additional sales expected in January, the retailer upgraded its guidance for the full year.
UK sales increased 5.9%, while international sales surged 38.3%.
For the financial year ending January 2026, Next now expects full-price sales of 5.603 billion pounds, up 10.7% year-on-year, compared with its previous forecast of 5.552 billion pounds, which implied growth of 9.7%. Total group sales, including markdown and investments, are forecast at 6.971 billion pounds, an increase of 10.3%, versus the prior estimate of 6.870 billion pounds, or 8.7% growth.
The company raised its forecast for group profit before tax to 1.150 billion pounds, up 13.7%, compared with earlier guidance of 12.2% growth. Post-tax earnings per share are now expected to reach 738.8 pence, an increase of 16.1%, versus the previous estimate of 729.4 pence, or 14.6% growth.
Looking ahead, Next issued initial guidance for the financial year ending January 2027, forecasting full-price sales of 5.855 billion pounds, up 4.5% year-on-year. Total group sales are expected to rise 4.2% to 7.261 billion pounds. The retailer sees group profit before tax increasing 4.5% to 1.202 billion pounds, while post-tax EPS is projected at 770.4 pence, up 4.3%.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.