We are now a little more than a fortnight away from Christmas Day with TV adverts pushing festive products, high streets adorned with Christmas decorations and shops flush with discount offers.The so-called 'Golden Quarter' including Black Friday is the most hotly contested period of the year amongst retailers and those that suffer disappointing sales or resort to overly-promotional strategies typ

Dividend cut as retailer prioritises profits rebuildFinance director to step downPost-Covid online performance disappointsShares in The Works (WRKS) tumbled almost 10% to 29.4p as delayed results for the year ended 30 April 2023 revealed a near-40% pre-tax profits plunge and the value retailer cut its recently-restored dividend.Investors were also rattled as the retailer revealed that finance dire

Despite inflationary pressures and a cost-of-living crisis that is squeezing consumers' real disposable income, shares in household name retailers with nationwide physical store footprints have rallied hard since the back end of 2022.They include British retail institution Marks & Spencer (MKS), variety goods discounter B&M (BME), cut-price greeting cards seller Card Factory (CARD), athleisure spe

The latest update from Primark-owner Associated British Foods (ABF) was encouraging for the company's shareholders. It flagged resilient demand as it upgraded profit guidance.Whether this is reflective of a consumer not feeling the pinch as much as feared or evidence that people are pursuing cheaper options is hard to judge from just one trading statement.However, this is not the only indication t

- Sales growth slows as cost-of-living crisis bites- Cautions over consumer spending- Sticks with full year earnings guidanceShares in The Works (WRKS) cheapened 9.6% to 31.2p on Friday after flagging a slight slowdown in recent sales. The cut-price books, arts, crafts and toys seller also issued a cautious outlook for consumer spending this Christmas as cash-strapped shoppers wrestle with higher

Having launched in April 2017, Brown Advisory US Mid Cap Growth Fund (BYW8R75) was in the top 25% performers in the Investment Association North American sector for the first three years of its existence. Then came a big shift in the market and it tumbled along with most other growth funds.Despite having the wind knocked out of the fund's sails, portfolio manager George Sakellaris remains remarkab

- Discount book and toy seller has restored profitability and dividends- Encourages with news of strong recent trading- Retailer remains cautious over consumer outlookShares in The Works (WRKS) jumped more than 50% to 44p after the cut-price book, toy and arts and crafts retailer reported solid annual results showing good growth in sales and profits ahead of pre-Covid levels in the face of falling

- Online like-for-likes slump 28.6% in Q1- Retailer 'materially' lowers guidance for 2023- Still intends to reinstate dividendsShares in The Works (WRKS) plunged 24% to 35.2p after the budget books-to-toys retailer 'materially' lowered its outlook for 2023 as it grapples with falling consumer confidence, rising inflation and cost headwinds.The profit warning accompanied news of a 2.5% drop in tota

- Discount books and toys retailer reinstates the dividend- Reports 10.4% growth in two year like-for-like sales- Warns trading conditions remain 'challenging' due to cost of living squeezeOn the day the Office for National Statistics reported a surprise upturn in UK retail sales in April, budget books-to-toys retailer The Works (WRKS) reinstated the dividend and reiterated annual earnings guidanc

Already contending with red hot inflation, consumer-facing businesses are about to be severely buffeted by headwinds from another tick up in energy prices, higher National Insurance tax and rising interest rates putting pressure on family finances.Consumers may pull in their purse strings with further inflation-driven price hikes expected over the months ahead.Shares believes the cost-of-living cr

Stocks in the UK and Europe closed lower on Friday after another weak trading session in the US as investors fretted over rising interest rates among other concerns.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index dropped a further 1%, taking its loss for the week to 5% and its loss from the November high to more than 10% signaling it had entered 'correction territory' according to analysts.Investors were

Stocks in the UK and Europe traded lower on Friday after a weak trading session in the US fed through into falls across Asia as investors fretted over rising interest rates among other concerns.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index registered further losses, falling 1.3% to take losses from its November peak to 10% signaling it is in 'correction territory' according to analysts.After the close,

Shares in The Works (WRKS) rallied 11.5% to 63p as the budget books-to-toys retailer reported better than expected results for the first half to October 2021 and said it had generated record Christmas sales.Assuming there are no further lockdowns, the cut-price arts and crafts seller now sees full year adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) coming in at ar

Stocks in the UK and Europe opened lower on Friday after a weak trading session in the US fed through into falls across Asia.The technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index registered further losses after falling 1.3% while the small-cap Russell 2000 dropped almost 2%.Adding to investor woes, in aftermarket trading Netflix shares sank 21% after it provided a disappointing outlook and weaker than expected

Shares in The Works (WRKS) cheapened 1.75% to 56p after the cut-price books, toys, arts and crafts retailer warned of higher freight costs.This overshadowed news of stronger than expected trading in the half to October 2021, with the retailer also insisting it has secured the stock it needs to deliver against its Christmas sales targets.The Works conceded it is being impacted by well-documented se

London's FTSE 100 finished Friday's trading session 1.2% higher at 7,043.6 points after US retail sales came in flat, short of expectations and helping to calm the recent fears over inflation that have spooked global markets.By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 index was up 1.2% at 4,163.67. In the UK, the domestically focused FTSE 250 finished up 1.2% at 22,336.1 points.SAGE NUMBERS ADD UPIn corporate n

London's FTSE 100 built on Friday's early gains to trade up 0.7% at 7,011.66 by midday, while the domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 edged 0.7% higher to 22,231.2 points.The move higher followed a rally on Wall Street overnight with the latest update on retail sales across the Atlantic likely to be in focus this afternoon.SAGE NUMBERS ADD UPOn the market, accounting software firm Sage (SGE) saw

Shares in The Works (WRKS) weakened 4.3% to 69.6p after warning investors to expect increased uncertainty around consumer spending to persist.In a year-end trading update, the cut-price books, toys, arts and crafts retailer was unable to give the market guidance on earnings in the year ahead despite seeing 'very encouraging' sales through its stores since the retail reopening.This has left the com

Shares in numerous retailers are flying high after upgrading earnings guidance or on relief they have come through the other side of the Covid crisis.Sector optimism centres on the successful vaccine rollout, easing unemployment concerns, and a strong housing market, but has the market now priced in too much good news?Yes, many people have built up cash savings during lockdowns, so there is capaci

According to the Government's latest 'roadmap', non-essential stores in England can reopen from 12 April. This includes clothes shops, book shops, department stores (remember those?), mobile phone shops, betting shops, car dealerships and shops such as florists and hairdressers.Face masks and social distancing will still be necessary, but for a good proportion of the population the chance to get o