Next week brings another (fairly) busy mix of corporate results and trading updates across UK and US, although European markets will go into ’sleep mode’, with most of the large-cap reports already in. Investors will likely to focus on companies exposed to AI, semiconductors, technology and consumer spending on deck next week, especially with US retail sales disappointing and a deluge of big box retail across the pond on deck.
In the US, Analog Devices (NASDAQ:ADI) is likely to attract the most attention. The semiconductor group reports Q3 results on Wednesday 19 August, with investors looking for evidence that industrial and communications demand is continuing to recover and for further clues about AI-related opportunities.
US after-hours and pre-market trading explained for UK investors
In the UK, Oxford Nanopore Technologies (LON:ONT) will be closely watched when it reports half-year results on 19 August. Investors will be assessing revenue growth, cash consumption and progress towards profitability following its July trading update.
JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD) is another key name for UK investors, with its results offering an important read-through on consumer demand, US trading and the health of the global sportswear market.
Across Europe, meanwhile, investors will be watching a broader range of smaller company earnings and corporate updates as markets continue to assess the outlook for growth, interest rates and consumer spending.
Analog Devices (NASDAQ:ADI)
Analog Devices (ADI) reports fiscal Q3 results on 19 August, giving UK investors another read-through on the semiconductor cycle. ADI makes high-performance analogue, mixed-signal and power-management chips that connect the physical and digital worlds – think temperature, sound, movement – sitting between sensors, processors and systems across industrial, automotive, communications and data centres.
Q2 was strong: revenue rose 37.2% year-on-year to $3.62bn, above expectations, while adjusted EPS reached $3.09. Management said bookings hit records across Industrial, Automotive and Communications.
Consensus forecasts for Analog Devices
| Q2 2026 (reported) | Q3 2026 | YoY Growth | FY 2026 | |
| Revenue (bn) | $3.62 | $3.93 | 8.6% | $14.81 |
| EPS | $3.09 | $3.33 | 7.8% | $12.43 |
Source: Koyfin
For Q3, ADI guided to ~$3.9bn revenue and adjusted EPS of $3.30. Current analyst consensus is slightly higher at about $3.915bn revenue and $3.34 EPS, setting a demanding bar.
What could move the shares: upside could come from an earnings/revenue beat, stronger bookings, AI/data-centre demand and raised guidance. Downside risks include weaker industrial or automotive demand, margin pressure, cautious guidance or evidence that AI optimism is already priced in. With ADI shares trading well above historical valuation levels, a merely ‘good’ quarter may not be enough.
JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD)
Sportswear giant JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD) is scheduled to post a Q2 trading update on 20 August. This will afford investors the opportunity to see if the athleisure retailer remains on track to achieve the market’s forecasts for H1 and FY27.
Shares in the trainers-to-tracksuits seller have been in the doldrums in recent years due to earnings downgrade-driven disappointments. However, JD Sports has staged a recovery since May with share buybacks and the appointment of a new chair boosting the stock.
Investors are also hoping that a summer of sport kept the tills ringing at JD Sports during Q2. There is every chance the FIFA World Cup coaxed consumers into spending on trainers, football boots and must-have replica shirts.
Interest in the event should have boosted the firm’s takings in North America, JD’s biggest market, as well as in Europe. Analysts will be focused on Q2 gross margins to see if the retailer has resisted the urge to discount products in a competitive market.
Back in May, JD Sports reported a drop in profits for the year to January 2026 as well as a 2.3% drop in like-for-like sales for a weather-blighted Q1 of FY27. However, news of a Q4 return to like-for-like growth in North America stoked some optimism. And the Bury-based company demonstrated confidence in its medium-term prospects by bumping the dividend up 20% to 1.2p.
For H1, consensus calls for sales of £5.93 billion and pre-tax profits of £297 million. For FY27, the market expects JD Sports to deliver revenue of £12.7 billion and pre-tax profits of £781 million, building to £13.1 billion and £827 million respectively in FY28.
Consensus forecasts for JD Sports
| FY2027 | FY2028 | |
| Revenue (m) | £12,773 | £13,142 |
| EPS (p) | 11.5 | 12.7 |
Source: Stockopedia
Oxford Nanopore Technology (LON:ONT)
Biotechnology firm Oxford Nanopore Technology (LON:ONT) reports H1 results next Weds 19 August, having already lowered expectations. In mid-July, the company warned revenue would miss forecasts due to weaker sales in China, Middle East disruption and the timing of US orders.
Sales for H1 are expected to be around £116 million, up 12% on H1 2025 but below management expectations. The miss is down to a 16% decline in Chinese orders, following tighter UK export controls, and a 14% decline in Middle East sales.
The company makes equipment which can sequence DNA and RNA directly in real time. Its technology is used in more than 125 countries to understand human biology and explore diseases such as cancer, viruses and bacteria.
Consensus forecasts for Oxford Nanopore
| FY2026 | FY2027 | |
| Revenue (m) | £267 | £324 |
| Net loss (m) | -£111 | -£80 |
| EPS (p) | -11.7 | -7.7 |
Source: Stockopedia
The business was founded in 2005 as Oxford Nanolabs, with seed funding from investor IP Group (LON:IPO). The company floated on the London Stock Exchange as Oxford Nanopore in 2021, and in 2024 it raised £80 million through a share placing at 120p.
The company’s largest shareholder is EFT Oxford Holdings, an investment firm linked with US billionaire Larry Ellison, with a 17.5% stake. IP Group maintains a 9% stake in the company, while Chinese tech firm Tencent owns 6.5% and Denmark’s Novo Holdings owns 5%.
On deck next week – Investing.com
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