Source: Sharecast
UK sales were up 5.4%, lower than the 7.6% growth achieved in the first half, but ahead of guidance of a softer 1.9% increase, while overseas sales rose 38.8%, ahead of 28.1% in H1 and materially better than its guidance of 19.4%.
Next increased its guidance for fourth-quarter full price sales from 4.5% to 7.0%, adding a further £36m of full price sales to its forecast, while FY full price sales were now expected to hit £5.55bn, representing a 9.7% increase year-on-year.
As a result of the improved third-quarter sales performance, along with its improved sales guidance for Q4, Next also raised its FY pre-tax profit guidance by £30m to £1.13bn.
Next now anticipates generating £425m of surplus cash in FY25/26 and intends to return remaining surplus cash by way of a special dividend at the end of January 2026, which would be roughly £3.10 per share.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com