NEXT is a UK based retailer offering exciting, beautifully designed, excellent quality

fashion and accessories for men, women and children together with a full range of

homewares# NEXT distributes through three main channels:


■NEXT Retail, a chain of more than 500 stores in the UK and Eire;
■NEXT Directory, a home shopping catalogue and website with around 3 million active customers and international websites serving approximately 50 countries; and
■NEXT International, with almost 200 mainly franchised stores around the world#
Other businesses in the NEXT group include:■NEXT Sourcing, which designs, sources and buys NEXT branded products;
■Lipsy, which designs and sells its own branded younger women's fashion products through retail, internet and wholesale channels; and
The parent company, NEXT plc, is listed on the London Stock Exchange #LSE: NXT#L# and is a member of the FTSE 100 Index# Total revenues for the year ended January 2012 were £3#5 billion with underlying pre-tax profits of £570 million# NEXT's head office is located in Enderby on the outskirts of Leicester, England

http://www.next.co.uk/

lol..about much of the love of somehow understanding price movement than underlying business rather.

Closed up 15p At least a hold

12 Sep Credit Suisse 4,650.00 Neutral

Next admits stock blunder amid summer heatwave but still reports sales of £1.68bn

By Matt West

PUBLISHED: 12:40, 12 September 2013 | UPDATED: 14:07, 12 September 2013


Retailer Next admitted a stock blunder meant it was caught out by the recent summer heatwave, leaving it short of warm weather clothes in August.

It added trading conditions were volatile, with customers only buying new clothes when they needed them.


The unexpectedly warm August ‘worked against some of our clothing ranges’ the retailer said, admitting it failed to stock enough warm weather ‘transitional stock’ - to sell after its July sale and ahead of the launch of its Autumn range.


Summer surprise: Next admitted it had insufficient stock during August as the better than expected weather caught it by surprise

The retailer admitted the blunder as it reported 2.2 per cent revenues growth to £1.68billion in the six months to the end of July, helped by continuing expansion through new store openings and online sales.


The retailer's online directory business drove pre-tax profits 8.2 per cent higher to £271.8million.

Shares in the retailer were 12.5p, or 0.24 per cent higher, at 5,202.5p by midday following the results announcement.


Next did not quantify the impact of the stock blunder on its bottom line but said it would take greater risks on buying fabrics and purchase key materials in greater quantities earlier in the year.

Anusha Couttigane, fashion consultant at Conlumino, said Next was let down by ‘flaws in its forward planning’.


‘This is a planning error which mature high street players should not fall victim to,’ she said.




While trading conditions looked set to improve gradually on looser credit to households and businesses, ‘talk of a full-blown recovery is premature,’ Next said.


The clothing giant defied the tough retail climate by laying out plans for a major land grab over the next five years, by opening another 1.4 million square feet of new space.


It currently trades from 541 stores in the UK and Ireland - equivalent to 6.7million square feet of space - after adding 145,000 square foot of space during the half.


The chain is taking advantage of the tough retail climate to secure cheaper, shorter leases at good locations, helping it replace tired older stores with new outlets.


The retailer said: ‘The addition of new retail space sounds counter-intuitive in an environment of declining like-for-like sales and growth in internet sales. However, we believe that investment makes sense.’

Next said new stores earn net profit margins of 22 per cent, and pay back the capital investment in 19 months. Without new space, its store profits would have fallen through the downturn, it added.
About 90 per cent of its stores earn profit margins of 15 per cent and above.

The retailer has planning permission for 11 large stores typically incorporating fashion, home and garden products, and another 18 are in the pipeline.

Next said there has been a ‘sea change’ in many local councils' attitudes to retail development, with a ‘much better understanding of the economic advantages and employment it can bring to an area’.

It said new stores are widely used by its online customers, with more than a third of internet purchases collected from stores.

Takings in its stores fell 0.9 per cent during the half to about £1billion, although that included the snow-hit start of the year when they fell 1.9 per cent. Store profits grew 1.3 per cent to £124.3million.

Sales at its Next Directory business, which includes online orders, grew 8.3 per cent to £597.6million, while profits were 13.4 per cent higher to £156.1million.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-2418572/Next-admits-stock-blunder-amid-summer-heatwave-reports-sales-1-68bn.html#ixzz2ehjWWU5i
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13 Sep Citigroup 5,850.00 Buy
13 Sep Numis 5,250.00 Hold
13 Sep Beaufort... N/A Buy
13 Sep Deutsche Bank 5,600.00 Hold
13 Sep Morgan Stanley 3,920.00 Underweight

and I would say, since sp overtaken by my pesky asc , nxt shares are gone..:))

Go back to the ASOS site. lol

lol

NEXT (LON:NXT)

NEXT announced results for the half year ended July 2013 yesterday. Sales increased 2.2% to £1.67bn as growth in online sales and addition of new retail space helped offset a drop in like-for-like sales. NEXT retail sales dipped 0.9% to £1bn, whereas the online NEXT Directory sales climbed 8.3% to £597.6m, boosting after tax profits by £26.3m. Operating profits rose 7.2% to £284.9m. New space added 2.7% to retail sales. Pre-tax profit was up 8.2% to £271.8m. Profit at the retail arm edged up 1.3% to £124.3m. Earnings per share (EPS) increased 19.9% to 142p, aided by share buybacks worth £170m. The company aims to return up to £250m and £350m through share buyback during the year. NEXT added 145,000 square feet of trading space during the period and plans to add around 300,000 square feet of retail trading space for the year. The company continued to acquire further retail space as the new space delivered high net margins and terms of acquisition were favourable. The number of active customers surged 12.1%, with a higher proportional increase of cash customers. The company cites strong employment, growth in housing market, and ending of credit squeeze for the customers as the main macro-economic drivers for the performance in next six months. However, a fall in the real consumer earnings could pose a challenge. Brand sales target for full year were maintained at 1.5-3.5%. The interim dividend per share climbed 16.1% to 36p.

Our view: NEXT exhibited a steady performance for the half year, largely due to upbeat online NEXT Directory sales. Newly added retail space seems to have worked wonders for the company, displaying 22% net margins. The company plans to continue with its strategy in this direction, with addition of further new space to the company’s retail portfolio. The share buyback plan of the company is also progressing well, with the potential to cause significant value addition for the shareholders, going forward. The macro-economic factors, crucial for the future performance of the company, seem to be progressing in the desired direction, barring the trend of real earnings of the customers. In such a scenario, an over 12% rise in active customers deserves a special mention. Given the company’s strong online offering – Directory, the diversification into home-wares and new overseas markets and plans for addition of more stores to its current portfolio, we believe there is a scope for further upside in the share price. We reiterate our Buy rating for the stock.




http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/columns/beaufort-securities/14100/beaufort-securities-breakfast-today-including-noricum-gold-next-plc-auhua-clean-energy-and-home-retail-group-14100.html

By Graham Hiscott
1 Comment

Next boss says economic pick-up should come with a "health warning"
13 Sep 2013 02:00

He accused the ­Coalition of creating an “unhelpful house price bubble” with its flood of cheap credit to boost the mortgage market






Warning: Next chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson Warning: Next chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson
PA


Next boss Lord Wolfson launched a withering attack on the Government yesterday, saying talk of an economic pick-up should come with a “health warning”.

The Tory peer accused the ­Coalition of creating an “unhelpful house price bubble” with its flood of cheap credit to boost the mortgage market.

He said a five-year credit squeeze, which had “sucked” money out of the economy as people reduced their debts, appeared to be over.

But the respected store chief said retailers face little let-up as inflation is set to outstrip wages for “at least another year”.

It comes days after Chancellor George Osborne claimed the economy had “turned a corner”.

Lord Wolfson said: “Recent good economic news requires a health warning.

"The end of the squeeze on consumer credit and the revival in the housing market are unlikely, on their own, to generate a significant or long-term recovery in retail sales.”

Announcing Next’s half-year results, he said a short-term boost to the housing market risked long-term harm.

“The loosening of the mortgage market alongside Government housing market stimulus measures look likely to result in an unhelpful house price bubble,” he wrote.

“The result will be a significant drag on the economy if and when interest rates begin to move up.

“In the long run house price inflation, without house building, is as dangerous as any type of inflation and ­represents a transfer of wealth to property owners from those who do not own their own home.”

His scathing comments will prove an embarrassment to the Government which has pinned its hopes on initiatives such as Help to Buy and the Bank of England’s Funding for Lending scheme to support the housing market.

It came as Lord Wolfson gave the flagging high street a big boost by pledging to open a wave of new fashion stores.

The company has plans for 1.4million square feet of extra retail space that it would like to open in the next five years, including 300,000 in the current financial year.

Defending its move, the company said new stores were highly ­profitable. Lord Wolfson said: “Without new space our retail profits would have declined throughout the credit crunch.”

But he added some high street stores were not fit for the needs of modern retailers and, ­controversially, may need to be “bulldozed and rebuilt”.

Next’s store profits rose 1.3% to £124million in the six months to July 27, despite sales falling 0.9% to just over £1billion as it sold more stock at full price.

But an 8.3% jump in online and catalogue sales meant group takings rose 2.2% to £1.67bn, and profits rose 8.2% to £271.8m.


Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/city-news/next-boss-lord-wolfson-says-2270155#ixzz2ezTNYfba
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16 Sep Credit Suisse 5,500.00 Neutral

Next: UBS raises target price from 4880p to 5350p leaving its neutral rating unaltered.

I was about to say something...but I think i'll be back there ...:)

One for you cynic if you still have these,


Should I Buy NEXT Plc?
Fool.co.uk

I'm out shopping for shares again, and here's the question I'm asking right now should I buy Next

Last time I checked out retail clothing chain NEXT, in January, I liked the cut of its cloth. With an expanding network of more than 500 shops in the UK and Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) , and its flourishing online Directory business, it looked cool and confident. There was only one problem. Its share price had just leapt 50% in a year to £39. I prefer to buy great companies when they are out of favour, rather than at the height of fashion. I decided it was too pricey. Was I right? And should I buy NEXT today?

When it comes to investing, cheap isn't always cheerful. NEXT is up another 50% over the past year, against just 12% for the FTSE 100 (FTSE: ^FTSE - news) . Over two years, it is up 100%. Over five years, it has delivered a stylish 359% growth (more than 12 times the FTSE). It has done all this in the middle of downturn, when wages have been rising at a slower pace than inflation, and austerity chic has been the order of the day. It's a stunning performance.

The price of fashion

Yet its first-half 2013 results weren't exactly cutting-edge, with sales rising a steady 2.2% to £1.67bn. A 7.2% rise in operating profit to £285m and 13.8% rise in profit after tax to £217m were more impressive, although already reflected in the share price. The stock barely shifted on the day, which struck me as a bit harsh.

NEXT has plenty to offer investors. It has recently spent £170m on share buybacks. Earnings per share (EPS) rose 19.9% to 142p. And still the market wasn't impressed? Like me, maybe it has been fixating too much on the price. Yes, these are tough times for retailers, but surely NEXT has weathered the storm in style. That puts it in a strong position if the economy is really recovering (I did say if...).

Out of my price range

Back in January, I was unhappy about its 2.3% yield. Today it is even lower at 2% against an index average of 3.5%. But management is progressive, recently announcing an interim dividend of 36p, a hike of 16.1%. NEXT is even more expensive today, however, trading at 17.1 times earnings. I'm also worried about EPS growth forecasts. After five years of double-digit growth of between 15% and 20%, EPS is forecast to slip to 8% in the year to January 2015. I should have bought it back in January at £39. I find its £51.40 price tag a little offputting today.

There are plenty more opportunities in the FTSE 100. If you want to know what they are, then download our free, in-depth report, Eight Top Blue Chips Held By Britain's Super Investor. This report by Motley Fool analysts is completely free and shows where dividend maestro Neil Woodford believes the best high-yield stocks are to be found today. Availability of this report is strictly limited, so please download it now.

> Harvey doesn't own shares in Next.

yes i do currently hold ..... the article must have been written a long time ago as sp is now £51 and he mentions £39 as being arguably too high ...... compared to ASC - my pet hate as i don't like their quality - NXT is probably still cheap .... more importantly, i believe that NXT's UK on-line biz is now the largest for the sector, and at least as importantly, it has at last moved away from the dull, travelling salesman image as is now much more akin to the likes of Zara

Should I Buy NEXT Plc? Fool.co.uk - 5 hours ago. Marks seem to have improved as well. The mens range seemed good. Never seem to have my size, especially if you want say 2 pairs trousers. Annoying. By the way I'm nothing strange just a 36 waist and 31 leg.

..

How I Rate NEXT plc As A 'Buy And Forget' Share
Fool.co.ukBy Rupert Hargreaves | Fool.co.uk – 5 hours ago

Right now I'm analysing some of the most popular companies in the FTSE 100 (FTSE: ^FTSE - news) to establish if they are attractive long-term buy and forget investments.

Today I'm looking at NEXT .

What is the sustainable competitive advantage?

Unfortunately, NEXT lacks a strong, sustainable competitive advantage over its peers. For example, while peer Marks & Spencer (Other OTC: MAKSF - news) is credited with the title of the second most valuable retail brand in the UK, NEXT lacks any such acclaim.

Indeed, the lack of a strong competitive advantage showed through within NEXT's first-half results, as the company reported that high-street sales for the period had fallen around 1%.

That said, during the same period, NEXT reported strong sales growth of 8.3% at its NEXT Directory business. However, peer Dunelm Group (LSE: DNLM.L - news) also reported a rise in sales of 12.2% for the same period, so it likely that NEXT is benefiting from a trend affecting the whole industry.

Still, despite the lack of a competitive advantage over its peers, NEXT is an extremely cash generative company.

In particular, the company reported operating profit margins of 20% for its 2013 financial year. In comparison, peer Marks & Spencer reported operating profit margins of only 7%.

Moreover, NEXT has been able to keep its operating profit margin between 18% and 20% for the last three years. This indicates to me that the company is able to set the prices on its goods and maintain a high level of cash generation, a very good trait in a buy-and-forget share.

Company's long-term outlook?

Without a strong competitive advantage it is hard to comment on NEXT's long-term outlook.

Furthermore, NEXT also lacks a time-tested history as the company has only been around since the 80s, which makes the firm look young in comparison to the centenarian Marks & Spencer.

Having said that, the company's online and catalogue offerings are popular with customers and this sales channel allows NEXT to keep costs down and profits up.

Foolish summary

Unless they are leaders in their field, retailers generally do not make very good shares to buy and forget, and NEXT is no exception.

The lack of strong competitive advantage combined with the company's dependence on the UK's highly competitive high street do not lead me to believe that the company will continue to outperform its peers.

So overall, despite the company's cash generative nature, I rate NEXT as a poor share to buy and forget.

Next PLC (NXT:LSE) set a new 52-week high during today's trading session when it reached 5,270. Over this period, the share price is up 47.35%.

Interim Management Statement

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4695506

Next ups full-year profit, sales guidance
By Jon Hopkins October 30 2013, 9:01am Next now expects a 2013-14 pre-tax profit of £650-680mlnNext now expects a 2013-14 pre-tax profit of £650-680mln

Britain's second biggest clothing retailer, Next (LON:NXT), has raised its full-year profit guidance after seeing solid trading in the third-quarter, sending its shares to the top of the FTSE 100 leader board.

The firm said it now expects a 2013-14 pre-tax profit of £650-680mln, a year-on-year increase of 4.6-9.4%, up from previous guidance for a pre-tax profit of £635-675mln.

Next reported total sales up 4.3% in the 13 weeks to October 26, above the company's guidance for sales growth of 1-4% in its second-half and an improvement from growth of 2.3% seen in the first-half.

Next was reliant on a strong performance from its Directory catalogue business, where sales increased 10.7%, while sales at its stores only rose 0.4%, reflecting unhelpfully warm autumn weather.

The retailer also raised its sales forecast for the full-year to up 2.0-3.75% from up 1.5-3.5%.

In reaction, broker Oriel Securities upgraded its pre-tax profit forecasts for both this year and next year by £11mln to £671mln and £712mln respectively.

“This morning’s statement is a positive for the sector and does breed modest upgrades. The shares should react positively this morning but the investment case remains fairly valued and we stick with our hold stance,” Oriel analysts said in a note.

Next shares were up 6.9%, taking the rise so far this year to around 50%. Fellow clothing retailer Marks & Spencer (LON:MKS) also saw a lift from the Next news, adding 2.1%.
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Next PLC (NXT:LSE) set a new 52-week high during today's trading session when it reached 5,620. Over this period, the share price is up 52.83%.