Home improvement retailer Kingfisher (LON:KGF) rallied after the B&Q-to-Screwfix owner raised FY27 profit and free cash flow guidance in the face of a tough consumer backdrop. The upgrade followed a solid H1 performance from the FTSE 100 retailer, which highlighted market share gains at Screwfix, Castorama Poland and in Spain. Over in France, the Castorama chain delivered a welcome return to growth in Q2. Unfortunately, the Brico Depot business was negatively impacted by heatwaves due to its product mix. And B&Q like-for-like sales in the UK & Ireland fell 1.8% in Q2 as big ticket sales slumped 8.1% amid lower…

Global consulting firm Elixirr International (LON:ELIX) delivered record H1 results. Revenues and pre-tax profits were both up 25% amid strong demand for the company’s artificial intelligence (AI), technology and commercial transformation services. Margins continued to rise in H1. And founder CEO Stephen Newton insisted the scale of the opportunity ahead of his challenger consultancy is significant. ‘Industry research estimates that agentic AI alone could create up to $200 billion of new demand for technology services over the next five years’, he enthused. So why did shares in Elixirr slump on Monday? Well, the absence of earnings upgrades and a rise…

Shares in JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD) flashed green after the athleisure retailer announced its first move into the fast-growing Mexican market. The trainers-to-tracksuits seller has signed a long-term franchise partnership with Mexican retail distributor Grupo Axo to launch the JD brand in the populous North American nation. JD Sports unveiled the tie-up with ‘Axo’ ahead of H1 results on 23 September. The Nike-to-New Balance brands seller needs to restore confidence in its growth story, having downgraded profit guidance last month. Terms of the tie-up Under the terms of the tie-up, Axo will operate JD stores and e-commerce in Mexico, using…

In the latest episode of the podcast, the chaps talk risk-on markets, the latest investment trust merger and thematic ETFs. Our tech expert Steven discusses his beginner’s guide to investing in semiconductor stocks. And Ian is excited about the growth potential of at-home beauty technology firm The Beauty Tech Group (LON:TBTG), whose H1 results beat expectations across the board. James hails a 60th consecutive dividend increase from UK equity income fund City of London (LON:CTY). He also mulls over the merits of the merger between struggling trust Aberdeen UK Smaller Companies (LON:AUSC) and top-performing peer JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth &…

Struggling Aberdeen UK Smaller Companies Growth (LON:AUSC) has agreed to merge with the strongly-performing JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income (LON:JUGI) as the consolidation wave continues to sweep across the investment trust sector. The enlarged trust will be managed by JPMorgan’s Georgina Brittain and Katen Patel, who’ve masterminded ‘JUGI’s’ exceptional long-term performance. On a NAV total return basis, JUGI has materially outperformed AUSC over the last one, three, five and 10 years. And the merger will enable both sets of shareholders to benefit from better liquidity and a reduction in charges. Why the urge to merge? Following a ‘competitive…

Shares in Debenhams (LON:DEBS) rallied after the online fashion and beauty retailer reported a 14% jump in H1 adjusted EBITDA to £24 million amid ongoing turnaround progress. For FY27, the boohoo-to-Karen Millen brands owner expects to deliver a return to positive profit before tax. It also anticipates finishing the year with ‘negligible’ net debt following asset disposals in recent weeks. H1 earnings surge Debenhams said momentum accelerated through H1 to 31 August 2026. Gross merchandise value (GMV) grew 1.8% year-on-year. Encouragingly, GMV growth of 0.5% in Q1 accelerated to 2.9% in Q2. H1 FY27Year-on-year changeGMV Pre Returns (£m)864+1.8%Adjusted EBITDA (£m)24+13.9%Gross…

Clothing-to-homewares seller Next (LON:NXT) upgraded FY27 profit guidance by £12 million following a better-than-expected H1, both in the UK and overseas. The retail star turn said its H1 performance was all the more unexpected given the strong sales growth delivered last year. Led by CEO Simon Wolfson, Next acknowledged that part of its recent market overperformance has been the result of two unusually warm UK summers. Next hikes guidance again For the year to January 2027, Next increased its profit guidance from £1.243 billion to £1.255 billion. The FTSE 100 company pinned the upgrade on a ‘small upgrade’ in sales…

UK equity income trust City of London (LON:CTY) kept pace with the FTSE All-Share in the year to June 2026, delivering a net asset value (NAV) total return of 21.9%. That was bang in line with the benchmark. However, performance was ahead of the 13.7% generated by the Association of Investment Companies’ (AIC) UK Equity Income sector. City of London is arguably the best-known of the AIC’s ‘dividend heroes’. These are investment trusts that have consistently increased their dividends for 20 or more years in a row. Alongside solid results, the trust announced a landmark 60th consecutive annual increase in…

In the latest episode of the podcast, the Sharesify gang talk pensions, palm oil, home improvement and Trustpilot (LON:TRST). Steven flags his education piece on tech stock investing and explains the negative share price reaction to online reviews platform Trustpilot’s results. And Ian highlights Pension Awareness Week and tells our audience why now is the time to check State Pension forecasts. Retail watcher James dissects the latest downgrade from WH Smith (LON:SMWH) and highlights the resilience of home improvement specialist Wickes (LON:WIX). He also discusses the near-40% dividend increase from Indonesian palm oil producer MP Evans (LON:MPE) and the potential…

Shares in WH Smith (LON:SMWH) slid after the troubled travel retailer trimmed FY26 profit guidance. The FTSE 250 firm also reported a disappointing drop in North America like-for-like sales in Q4. The latest downgrade overshadowed the ‘good progress’ that the embattled retailer is making with its transformation agenda. Profit guidance trimmed In a pre-close trading update, WH Smith said pre-tax profit for the year to August 2026 is expected to fall to roughly £75 million. That is at the low end of the revised forecast given in June for taxable profits of between £75 million and £90 million. Fresh guidance…