Wickes Group (LON:WIX) Posts Earnings Results

Wickes Group (LON:WIX - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported GBX 9.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, Digital Look Earnings reports. Wickes Group had a net margin of 2.35% and a return on equity of 29.52%.

Here are the key takeaways from Wickes Group's conference call:

• First-half sales and profit increased: Group revenue rose 2.1% and adjusted profit before tax grew 1.1% to £27.6 million, despite 2%–3% retail deflation and cost inflation. Growth was volume-led, with retail up 0.8% and design and installation up 5.7%.
• Trading momentum strengthened in Q3: Retail like-for-like revenue growth reached the mid-single digits, driven by customer growth across trade and DIY rather than inflation. Management remains on track to deliver roughly 10% adjusted PBT growth for 2026.
• Expansion and shareholder returns are progressing: Wickes refreshed eight stores in the first half, plans four to five new stores this year, and expects to open seven to nine in 2027 before accelerating to more than 10 annually from 2028. The company also raised its interim dividend 2.8%, completed a £10 million buyback and funded a further £9 million for its employee benefit trust.
• Design and installation growth may moderate: New project volumes improved, but a shift toward lower-average-order-value lifestyle kitchens and bespoke bathrooms has slightly reduced ordered sales, creating a flatter delivered-sales profile in the second half. Management expects future recovery in higher-end demand as economic conditions improve.
• Investment and cost pressures remain: Productivity savings have not fully offset operating-cost inflation, while technology and property investment increased by about £5 million year over year. Technology project development costs are expected to rise modestly again in 2027 to approximately £20 million through the P&L.

Wickes Group Stock Performance

WIX opened at GBX 192 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of £422.21 million, a P/E ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 551.57. The stock's 50 day moving average price is GBX 192.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 197.81. Wickes Group has a 12-month low of GBX 169.20 and a 12-month high of GBX 255.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WIX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Shore Capital Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 280 price objective on shares of Wickes Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on Wickes Group from GBX 265 to GBX 260 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a GBX 265 price objective on shares of Wickes Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Wickes Group from GBX 227 to GBX 210 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 258.60.

About Wickes Group

Wickes is one of the UK's best known home improvement retailers. Having opened our first store in 1972 we now have 228 stores across the UK, employing 7,400 colleagues and offering products ranging from kitchens and bathrooms, to paint, tools and timber. Wickes is a successful, growing, cash generative and profitable business, operating in the large and growing £27 billion UK Home Improvement market. Over the past few years Wickes has consistently outperformed the market, growing share and delivering a CAGR growth rate double that of the market. At Wickes, we have a clear purpose, which is to ‘help the nation feel house proud', and we do this by focusing on our three customer segments - Local Trade, Do-it-for-me and DIY retail.