JD Sports (JDSPY) has issued a positive trading update for fiscal year (FY) 2024, citing strong growth across North America, Europe, and Asia, driven by the opening of new stores.
The company announced that FY24 profit before tax (PBT) and adjusted items are expected to be within the forecasted range of £915-935 million. It reported a 3.6% increase in total FY24 sales, reaching £10.5bn, while maintaining a strong gross margin of 47.3%.
JD shares rose more than 6% in London trading.
Throughout the period, JD Sports expanded its global presence by opening 215 new stores, thereby boosting organic growth in all regions.
This trading update comes as a crucial move to uplift JD Sports' share price, which has seen a decline of over a quarter since the start of the year.
In January, the group had issued a profit warning, attributing the downturn to warm weather, a softer peak trading session, and "cautious consumer spending," which adversely affected revenues.
However, the current update presents a more promising outlook for JD Sports, especially when contrasted with ASOS's recent announcement, which indicated a significant 18% drop in revenues.
Looking ahead, JD Sports expects its profit before tax for the upcoming year to be in the range of £900 million to £980 million, 10% below consensus estimates.
The company experienced a notable slowdown towards the end of fiscal Q4 2024, with organic growth and like-for-like sales increasing by 4.4% and 0.1% respectively. This is in contrast to the first 22 weeks of the second half of 2024, where the company saw higher growth rates of 6% (organic) and 1.8% (like-for-like).
January's sales were slightly lower year-over-year, compared to strong comparative figures from the previous year.
In their comments on the trading update, Citi analysts said they anticipate “a slightly weak share price reaction given January trading deceleration” and the below-consensus PBT guidance for the FY 2025.