Primark’s Christmas trading performance, as well as management commentary around trading early in the new calendar year, will be the main focus when the discount fashion chain’s parent Associated British Foods (ABF) next updates the market on 23 January.

With a tailwind from the cost-of-living crisis, value-focused retailers and discounters including German grocers Aldi and Lidl, bargain stores giant B&M European Value Retail (BME) and baker Greggs (GRG) have all issued robust Christmas updates so far, offering a positive read-across for cut-price clothing chain Primark.

Analysts will pore over the statement for an update on the resilience of the consumer as well as Primark’s actions on markdowns over the peak period. The Christmas like-for-like sales performance from the jewel in the Associated British Foods’ crown, which continues to expand in Europe and the US, will be of particular interest to investors as the value-focused fashion store was lapping tough prior year comparatives. Same-store sales were up 11% in the 16 weeks to 7 January 2023 with sales in the week leading up to Christmas Day 2022 reaching a new record.

Investors will also be eager to learn if cost pressures continue to ease for the Weston family-controlled foods-to-fashion conglomerate and whether grocery brands including Twinings, Ovaltine, Blue Dragon, Patak’s, Jordans managed to sustain their momentum during the festive selling period.

UK UPDATES OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS

FULL-YEAR RESULTS

22 January: Watkin Jones

25 January: Titon Holdings

INTERIMS

24 January: Hargreaves Services, Van Elle Holdings

25 January: IG Group, Newmark Security, Time Finance

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

19 January: 4Imprint

23 January: Associated British Foods, Premier Foods

24 January: Computacenter, Palace Capital, PensionBee, easyJet, Quilter

25 January: Intermediate Capital Group, Fuller Smith & Turner, Mitie, PPHE Hotel Group

‹ Previous2024-01-18Next ›