Agenda: Primark, Hotel Chocolat and Travis Perkins update the market

Primark 

The value giant will release its six-month pre-close results on Monday, February 25. 

Primark recorded a 13% increase in adjusted operating profit on a constant currency basis to £843m in the 52 weeks to September 15, despite unusual weather conditions and a difficult trading period in November.

Sales rose 4% during the 16 weeks to January 5 with profit “well ahead” of the previous year. Overall UK sales rose 5.3% during the period while like-for-likes increased 1.2%, driven by a “significant” increase in the retailer’s share of the total clothing market.

Hammerson

The retail property giant will post its full-year results on Monday.

Hammerson pulled the plug on a potential £3.4bn takeover bid of shopping centre group Intu last April after uncertainty over French property giant Klépierre’s £5bn approach for the business.

The shopping centre owner’s profits crashed 80.6% to £55.7m in the six months to June 30 as net rental income fell 3% to £178.5m. Adjusted profit inched up 0.5% to £120m during the same period.

Travis Perkins

The specialist retailer will release its end-of-year results on Tuesday, February 26 for the period to December 31.

The firm attributed its fall in profitability in the six months to June 30 to a “challenging UK DIY market negatively impacting sales and profitability in Wickes”.

The building merchant recorded a 4.6% decline in adjusted pre-tax profits to £167m, despite revenue rising 4.4% to £3.4bn during the first half.

Hotel Chocolat

The confectioner will post its interim results on Tuesday.

Hotel Chocolat recorded a 15% rise in sales in the 13 weeks to December 30, with a 5% uplift in sales from new stores.

The specialist retailer added 15 new stores to its portfolio in the six months to December, taking its total UK store estate to 117. Its festive sales were driven by its new product Velvetiser hot chocolate, which outsold its initial forecast three-fold.

Brexit vote

MPs have been promised a final, decisive vote on Thursday, February 28 on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, provided an agreement on the Irish backstop clause has been reached.

The Prime Minister will update MPs the day before on the backstop outcome. If she hasn’t reached a deal by then, measures will be put in place for MPs to have a say on the next steps.

Both Labour and Conservative MPs are said to be putting alternative deals to the vote in a bid to control the Brexit process.

MPs are still able to debate and vote on amendments on Thursday, although it is unknown what those amendments will be.

GfK consumer confidence report

The consumer data analyst firm will release its consumer confidence index on Thursday.

Analysts are hoping for an uptick in confidence this month as shoppers’ sentiment towards the British economy fell to a seven-year low year on year in January.

The slump contributed to a fall in overall consumer confidence, which declined by five points compared to January 2018, falling to -14.