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About three months ago, I noted that, before I bought back into the shares, I needed to see a >10% fall in the then c. 265p Tesco (TSCO) share price. We are not there yet, given this morning's 248p price, but what did its Q1 update say about the tricky path ahead?
Another busy Thursday during the global corporate earnings season. Three names are of particular interest to me today…
An "excitable" Monday on the markets! I see that it has helped pull the FTSE 100 back to a small loss year-to-date. Well at least it is a lot better than peers in all the rest of the developed world. Meanwhile, did you see the headline that “Asda and Morrisons drop prices to help struggling shoppers”. So what does that mean for names such as Tesco (TSCO), J Sainsbury (SBRY) and Ocado (OCDO) among others?
Hello Share Placers. I sang the praises of Tesco (TSCO) recently. But I also rate the chances of Sainsbury (SBRY) improving its share price. Like Tesco, it did well before Christmas with trading better than expected by the City. My local store has had a few gaps on the shelves caused by the general transport supply problems, but it’s not too much to worry about as customers will find alternatives.
A week into January and I see that the weekend press has plenty of stories about the European Central Bank executive who ‘warns green energy push will drive inflation higher’, as well as the UK’s former vaccines minister who said it would be ‘helpful’ to cut the self-isolation period to five days. Otherwise there is the apparent hassle of the wealth of the top 1% is 230 times higher than the poorest 10%. Such analytical excitement (not).
Early this year we showed the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of August?…
Hello, Share Chasers. There may be glittering prizes around for some folks holding some shares. I refer to the craze among foreign private equity outfits for eyeing up British companies, some of which are household names. A reasonable stratagem then is to buy shares in likely targets. But what are the best bets?
Hello, Share Crunchers. With the battle for Morrisons (MRW) still going on, one is tempted to look at the other big British supermarkets to see if they too will become targets. There’s been some speculation about Sainsbury’s (SBRY). One possible buyer has even been named: US buy-out outfit Apollo.
Early this year we showed the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of July?…
I believe there is a football game at 8pm later today (sorry Italy, but someone has to lose) but – helping to make sure the family has a range of nice things to eat and drink whilst watching the game – Ocado (OCDO) is dropping around at the house in a few hours time. It might describe itself as ‘a publicly-traded company that develops software, robotics, and automation systems for online retailers’, but specifically in the UK it has switched from working with Waitrose to now working with Marks & Spencer (MKS).
Being a shareholder in Wm Morrison (MRW) has been marvellous, as discussed on Sunday HERE. I had to laugh this morning when I read in The Times that one top 20 investor’s ‘view is 254p undervalues Morrisons, but with three private equity groups interested it is unlikely to be the final bid’. Clearly on the first point they should have bought more shares then! We will see on the latter point and my view is to hold onto the stock and see what happens. Even if all the other potential angles come to nothing, getting a 254p per share bid (including the dividend) is a pretty good return for those who followed the views on this website over the last few months. Tom and Steve have also been very smartly writing about Morrisons’ peer J Sainsbury (SBRY), recently observing that it is a FTSE “elephant and another dividend secured”.
Recommending shares in J Sainsbury (SBRY) as an Income portfolio buy in November at a 199.7p offer price, we noted grocery and general merchandise sales had remained strong to date in its second half of the year and suggested a 260p+ share price achievable. Little more than 7 months later the shares are already nearly there.
Early this year we showed the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of May?…
J Sainsbury (SBRY) has announced results for its year ended 6th March 2021 and that it has “carried good underlying trading momentum into the new financial year and started the year strongly”.
Early this year we showed the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of April?…
Back here on the 1st March, Tom, Nigel and myself had a very interesting chat on the outlook for gold sector opportunities…and an understanding that markets that continued to be generally highly optimistic would be unlikely to be led by the performance of the gold shiny stuff. My own view – expressed here and elsewhere – is that the scope for higher UK, US or European equity markets by the end of this year is still likely – but that does not mean I dump all my favourite gold holdings. All this means is that you are playing a medium-term came with the latter grouping. To that end I still have about 10% of my shares portfolio in my person favourite Barrick Gold listed in the US and Canada.
Early this year we showed the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2021. How’s the performance (those in bold remain from 2020) as at the end of February?…
Which Bulletin Board Moron said we couldn’t tip a waiter? J Sainsbury (SBRY) has issued a Q3 trading statement. There were Christmas sales changes due to smaller gatherings but despite this and, even after forgoing business rates relief, it still expects to report underlying pre-tax profit of “at least” £330 million in the financial year to March 2021. That is better than we and the market had hoped for.
Like a complete geek I enjoyed earlier this week having our shopping delivered by Sainsbury’s (SBRY). I was not the only one demanding such a supply and in today’s third quarter update, Sainsbury’s mentioned that it now has more than eight hundred thousand weekly house sales.
Recently-announced results from J Sainsbury (SBRY) included “sales (excluding VAT) down 1.1 per cent” and “loss before tax £(137) million”. The shares responded lower – but that after recently rising and they are now back on the rise again and we can see why…
A rare one for you today as I wrap myself in a red flag and criticise a company juxtaposing a special dividend with job losses. The company in question is Sainsbury (SBRY), where I am actually a loyal shopper and would heartily recommend its online delivery capabilities – which I have tapped for the first time in recent months. However for all its capabilities there, I think it has bogged up with the combination of the announcement of necessarily high profile job losses at the Argos division and the announcement of a special dividend…
Do you believe that British Land (BLND) has everything under control after announcing earlier today that it had collected 88% of office and 36% of retail rent due to it for the June quarter? As for what is still owed to it, it is engaging on a 'case by case basis'. You bet it is... As I wrote in late May, 'I guess anyone can get a high rent collected metric if you fudge through deferral, forgiving it or moving it to a different schedule...that still sounds like a future day of reckoning to me'. The shares are lower than when I wrote on the stock above and suggested shareholders should be selling at above four quid a share and that non-investors should not bother…
Hello, Share Crunchers. Several folks were filmed by BBC news last night trying to hold onto loads and loads of toilet rolls outside supermarkets which held special openings for the infirm and elderly. Why? Are silver shoppers confusing the virus with dysentery? This week I featured in this modest column the attraction of investing in Wm Morrison (MRW). It made a small profit increase even before the panic buying started. I argued that it should do even better now. I would like to extend that optimism to all four big British supermarkets...
A busy earnings Wednesday, so let us dive in…
I am travelling at the moment, so my routine is a touch different to normal but I had to smile at the disclosure from the British Retail Consortium in the early hours between yesterday evening and this morning, which showed that retail sales rose by 1.9 per cent in the five weeks to December 28th...
It was a mixed-up morning for me with some family and business obligations, so I was a bit less focused on today's regulatory news statements early this morning. Habits die hard however and after ticking off my other engagements, I am back at the desk piling through the rather lengthy list of company updates and musings today...I have got to start with luxury car perma-dog Aston Martin Lagonda (AML), which I last commented on at the time of its very expensive bond issue. Today's Q3 results are even described by the company as reflecting 'challenging trading conditions' and you can take your pick of exciting metrics…
Hello, Share Scramblers. Of all the British supermarkets, I suppose I have the least expectations of Sainsbury (SBRY). And I’m rather glad I dumped my shares a couple of years ago. A look around my local branch, while not being that reliable, doesn't inspire me too much. There seem fewer customers these days...
The last time I talked about the shares of Sainsbury (SBRY) I concluded that the results were 'truly all over the place'. After today's update I would say the data has actually got worse…
Hello, Share Triers. Sainsbury (SBRY) has been in the news lately. Unfortunately, that news was worthless in the end. The powers-that-be decided that food bills could rise if a merger went ahead with Asda. So all bets are off...
How was April for you? Well Next (NXT) had a good time as per today's trading update observing that 'full price sales in the thirteen weeks to Saturday 27 April were up +4.5% on last year. This was +1.3% ahead of our internal forecast of +3.2% for the first quarter. We believe this over performance versus forecast was mainly as a result of unusually warm weather over the Easter holiday period, which was particularly helpful to our Retail stores'…
Hello the global earnings season. This is a quarterly reality which makes my life periodically very busy...but what could be more interesting than zoning into the latest thoughts of a bunch of corporations around the world? Three in the UK market capture my attention today…
I noted last month that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) really did not help out Sainsbury's (SBRY) with its aim to merge with Asda and push back positively against some of the negative trends it is facing in today's UK food retail market, by asking for lots of store divestments (300 versus the 150 originally offered). This is why Sainsbury's shares are skulking around a one year low.
Like some of the other writers on ShareProphets I sometimes turn my hand to sharing a few pearls of wisdom with the younger generation at some of our Higher Education institutions. As i only really know about one thing - finance and investment related matters - it will not surprise any readers the subjects i talk about. It will also not surprise anyone that I try to refocus the students away from mathematical explanations to a broader palate of qualitative and interpretative insights.
Another day, another bunch of trading updates to review…
Early each year, we note the top shorted London-listed shares as at the start of the year. How did 2018's perform?...
Hello Share Bashers. Though still holding shares in Tesco (TSCO) and Morrison (MRW), I’d rather I didn’t. Only inertia is keeping these unexciting shares in my bag. Yes, the share prices are generally on the upward march, but progress is oh, so slow.
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018. How's the latest performance?...
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018. How's the latest performance?...
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018. After the latest month, how's performance?...
Time for a food retail update. I was slightly surprised by the purchasing hookup between Tesco (TSCO) and the French-listed behemoth Carrefour which was announced on Monday. You all know how loved-up i have been with Tesco over the last little while and - reciprocating my passion - the shares have popped above 240p big technical resistance level in recent weeks as I had hoped (and mused upon here ). Anyhow, Monday's announcement is no sector ball-breaker but rather part of a search for marginal gains.
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018. After the latest month, how's performance?...
It is undoubtedly too early to congratulate the newly married couple as you don't put two of the big four food retail names together and get it through the competition authorities without some strife, but Sainsbury (SBRY) and the Walmart-owned Asda are doing the right deal for themselves and the other big food retailers. Of course for employees some will unfortunately lose their jobs.
There is only one story in the financial papers today - the advanced stage talks between Sainsbury (SBRY) and Asda owner Walmart about merging the two UK operations. I discuss what any marriage, a marriage born of desperation, would mean for staff, customers and shareholders.
Hello, Share Cats. For many years I’ve held shares in the Morrison (MRW) supermarket empire. I am still about 10% down on my choice. I also hold Tesco (TSCO) and Sainsbury (SBRY), but I save my highest hopes for Morrison. In fact, my Tesco and Sainsbury shares should have been sold years ago.
Hello, Share Peckers. I’ve just recently named three of my shares I have high hopes for. So to balance the boat, I’ll now nominate a trio of not-so-hopeful members of my portfolio. Three shares that I plan to sell as soon as the market indicates the best time.
Hello, Share Trudgers. Following my less-than-enthusiastic article on Morrisons (MRW) yesterday, I now turn a jaundiced eye on its rival Sainsbury (SBRY).
Hello Share Peggers. The latest set of figures from Sainsbury (SBRY) show that sales in the last four months improved by 2.3%. Which is not too bad, considering the huge challenge from the competition these days.
From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, at the start of the year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares HERE. The following updates, showing those with a current reported short position of +7%...
After being outed by Tom Winnifrith as a non-adherent to the Star Wars doctrine, I turn my thoughts to matters in our galaxy (not far away)…and the bevy of trading updates from supermarkets this week.
As I will publish one day as ‘Chris Bailey’s guide to reading regulatory news statements’, rule 354 is ‘worry about any retail company that starts talking about the price of their products in a RNS’. Normally such price disclosures highlight desperation and hence Sainsbury’s (SBRY) musings earlier today that…
Hello Share Scrunchers. It always encourages me when my colleague Steve Moore, a modest sort of chap who is very tuned in to our golden game, has the same thoughts as me. Even more so, as we don’t always agree. But when he says that the takeover of ARM Holdings (ARM) is good news not just for ARM holders, but the share investment world as applied to the whole of the UK, then I totally concur.
If you are interested in retail shares then one of the more sensible uses of your research time would be to become familiar with the output of Kantar. Even for cheapskates like me there is a reasonable flow of free insights from the business research consultancy to provide a bit of colour.
If you want me to analyse a stock for you just drop me a line at sqmir@hotmail.com - Today I look at shares in Bacanora Minerals (BCN), Polo Resources (POL) and J Sainsbury (SBRY) setting share price targets for all three stocks.
Hello Share Squirters. About six years ago I bought some shares in Morrisons (MRW). And I immediately regretted it. And that was before all the hoo-ha about Lidl and Aldi taking the customers of the big British supermarkets.
Which of the following do you believe is more important as a guide to Tesco’s (TSCO) corporate well-being?
I want to draw your attention to the absurd affect that the trouble in China is having on British shares. One of the biggest fallers has been ITV (ITV). This company makes it money by advertising British companies, like Tesco (TSCO), Sainsbury (SBRY), WM Morrison (WMR) and loads of other very familiar products in the UK.
Last month, I gave my reasons why I thought Sainsbury’s equity was attractive at the then share price of 340p. I described the company as “impressive fundamental value in a sea of intense competition”. In essence, that was based on an estimated prospective dividend yield of 4.8%, backed by a strong balance sheet net asset value of an estimated 317p a share. The share price continued a slide down to about 326p before bouncing; last seen, Sainsbury shares were back up to 337p almost back to where we came in about a month ago.
The results from Sainsbury (SBRY) for the year to 15 March were far from being a disaster; which was good news given the cloud the food retail sector has been under from those drat German price discounters, who seem to have learnt how to compete on both price and perceived quality. Sales were up by 2.8% - not bad even if the ‘like for like’ sales from the stores that had been open a year or more, were up by a mere wisp at plus 0.2%. The company retained its market share in the year to March 2014.
