JD Sports Fashion PLC and Tesco PLC results key news for coming week, Deliveroo

The coming week will see results announcements from some of the market’s biggest retail names including athleisure wear seller JD Sports and supermarket giant Tesco.

There will also be a trading update from recent IPO flop Delvieroo, as well as stock broker Plus500, bar chain Revolution and online booze seller Naked Wines.

On the macro front, the key headlines will be UK GDP data as well as the latest retail sales figures.

JD Sports caps off stellar year

Final results from retailer () are unlikely to throw up any major surprises after the company said in January that it expects its full-year pre-tax profit to be at least £400mln, a major improvement on market expectations of £295mln.

The group said demand over the Christmas period had been robust with like-for-like sales in the second half rising over 5% as customers flooded in through both its physical and retail sales channels.

Instead, investors will be looking at what exactly is behind the company’ stellar performance, as well as how it plans to maintain it into the current year, with the firm having already guided for 2021 profit growth of 5-10%.

There will also be interest in the impact of the latest lockdown restrictions, as well as whether JD is planning any more acquisitions.

What more will Plus add?

() shares are down by almost a quarter from their high in 2018 before European and UK financial regulators cracked down on the way the high-risk investment products are sold to retail punters.

But since the start of last year shares in the FTSE 250-listed operator of a platform that allows leveraged trading of stocks, forex and cryptocurrencies are up by more than 70% as traders happily frolicked in the financial volatility of the pandemic.

Ahead of a first-quarter trading update on Tuesday, Plus500 last month put out a short statement issued ahead of an extraordinary general meeting trading this year has remained strong, with customer income tracking ahead of the previous quarter but monthly trading results remain volatile.

“Given the company’s continued robust performance, and supported by its market-leading proprietary trading platform, its flexible and scalable business model, its robust financial position and consistent track record, the board remains confident about the outlook for Plus500,” the company said, echoing similar comments from rival .

readies for reopening

Half-year results from Revolution Bars Group PLC () are unlikely to make for pleasant reading on Tuesday as the chain counts the costs of more closures brought on by the UK’s lockdown measures.

Instead, investors will be looking to the firm’s outlook as bars look set to reopen following the gradual relaxation of restrictions on April 12 and in mid-May.

The company has already said it plans to 20 bars this month, moving onto the whole 66-strong estate in May when indoor service will be allowed.

Revolution also said it expects “significant pent-up demand” when lockdown is lifted, as consumers desperate for a night out flood into its branches.

Tesco checks its receipts

Results from () will cover the 12 months to the end of February, which virtually coincides with the coronavirus pandemic period.

As an essential retailer, the supermarket giant’s shops have remained open throughout the period while its online offering has helped it gain market share for the first time since the advent of colour telly (or so it seems), as the German hard-discounters, and , have suffered for want of much of an online presence.

Despite that, profits aren’t going to be stellar for the full year, according to Sophie Lund-Yates at Hargreaves Lansdown.

“Analysts expect operating profit to fall around 37.5%. It’s important to focus on the longer-term picture. We’d like to know what expectations are for margins. As the group continues to ramp up investment, we…