Not the most exciting share, but with safeway conversion now complete (and how much better the old safeway stores are now) the shares should start to come back. Already started a nice rise from a recent low. Costs for conversions will still hold the price back but when that is out of the way, should be be nice. 190p

Unloved Morrisons wins over Citi

Interim Results


Financial summary

· Total turnover down 4.9% to £8.5bn (2013/14: £8.9bn)

· Like-for-like sales (ex-fuel/ex-VAT) down 7.4% (2013/14: down 1.6%)

· Underlying profit before tax(1) down 51% to £181m (2013/14: £371m(2))

· Underlying earnings per share(1) down 52% to 5.74p (2013/14: 11.92p(2))

· Profit before tax £239m (2013/14: £344m)

· Interim dividend up 5.0% to 4.03p (2013/14: 3.84p)

· Net debt reduced by £209m to £2,608m (FY 2013/14: £2,817m)

· 2014/15 underlying profit before tax(1) guidance confirmed at £325-£375m



Financial highlights

· Strong cash flow progress - £531m better year-on-year

· Operating working capital improvement of £145m in the first half

· Property disposals of £280m recognised, profits of £54m achieved

· New £300m bond and £1.35bn revolving credit facility further strengthen funding profile

· Triennial pension review completed - schemes remain well funded



Strategic and operating highlights

· Action across the business to implement new three-year plan

· All components of the £1bn self-help programme on track:

o £105m achieved in the first half

o simplified in-store management structure being introduced

o range reduction - over 2,000 SKUs removed

· Investments to improve and modernise the business progressing well:

o lower prices driving volume recovery - Q2 Items per Basket 480bps better than Q2 LFL; Produce items 760bps better than Q2 LFL

o Items on Promotion down 13% year-on-year in Q2

o promotional participation now falling year-on-year

o launching our Morrisons card soon, after successful trials

· Online and M local roll-outs progressing well




http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4883614

'Match & More card'.

Broken up above the cloud... hhmmm

What Lidl have to say about Morrison's latest Loyalty Card Deal:

Sharecast - Morrisons is increasing prices on some of its "I'm cheaper" lines less than six months after vowing to cut prices permanently on more than 1,000 staples, the Sunday Times said. The paper said it had seen analysis showing that Morrisons had quietly raised the prices of battered cod and golden delicious apples. The supermarket group told the paper prices were still lower than before it launched its price-cut promotion. Chief Executive Dalton Philips said in May that prices would fall "not just for the next week or the next month".

Sharecast -Current trading conditions at Wm Morrison are a "worry to our minds", according to analysts at Shore Capital who repeated their 'hold' rating on the stock ahead of the supermarket chain's third-quarter update this week.

"We expect Morrison's to continue to report trading that is a little short of grim," said analysts Clive Black and Darren Shirley, adding that the firm is now entering a "critical quarter".

Interim Management Statement

I visited a Morrison's store yesterday, spending about £60 or so.

I chatted with about four of the staff and they do seem re-energised. Blatantly management are 'doing things for the good of the business'. Indeed, I saw one senior manager actually seen taking an interest and issuing instructions to at least three staff and he was also showing a presence around the tills for some time too, thereby making himself available to be spoken with.

The toilets have had an upgrade and were 'sparkling clean' - this was badly needed in this store. I noticed the brand new mixer taps and new jetter hand dryers. New laminated easy-clean walls. The whole supermarket had new brighter lighting.

I noticed a great improvement to the displays of fish on the fish counter.

The check out lady 'was quite happy' to be processing the new price match loyalty cards and coupons. Six visits, spending £40 each time gets me a £25 voucher at Christmas.

Why do I actually bother to shop here? Well, we walk the dog at a different place each day. This is handy once each week for one such of those days, just as we are running out of, say bread or milk or the bananas we have with our daily porridge.

Hmmm?

Anyhow, it is more pleasurable to shop here now thanit ever was and I thoroughly got the message they are trying harder to please their customers and are now definitely extremely competitively priced. I did detect, that the lower prices have dropped the quality a little bit with the fresh vegetables and fruit - or is it just the time of year or was it merely the day of the week we shopped?

I like to look, touch and feel and am not yet into online shopping for our fruit and vegetables, which are a major part of our shopping bag.

Hmmm?

I've noticed similar things in my local Morrison - the fish offers have certainly improved, as have the mix and match on packaged veg - baby sweet corn, mange tout etc.

Also the 'management' have been much more in evidence.

Morrisons sales tumble even further than expected

By Ian Lyall

November 06 2014, 7:58am
It may take a while for the CEO's initiatives to boost the sales line.
It may take a while for the CEO's initiatives to boost the sales line.


The performance of Bradford-based grocer Morrions (LONB:MRW) was every bit as bad as expected – possibly worse.

Squeezed by the discounters Aldi and Lidl, as well as its usual adversaries, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury, the group posted a 6.3% decline in underlying sales for the quarter to November 2.

This was slightly worse than the 5.9% predicted by City analysts, who will have trouble picking the positives from this morning’s statement.

Chief executive Dalton Philips said one of its key indicators – items per basket – had improved. However Morrisons still reported a 2.4% year on year decline.

The supermarkets boss admitted it may take some time for the initiatives such as its trumpeted £1bn of price cuts to fully benefit its sales performance.

After March’s catastrophic profit warning, the market is bracing itself for radically lower profits.

Today Morrisons narrowed the range of what to expect as it said underlying pre-tax profits would be £335-£365mln from previous guidance of £325-£375mln. That’s less than half the £785mln it made last financial year.

Philips told investors: "Morrisons is meeting the challenges created by a period of intense industry competition and structural change with quick and decisive action.

“I am encouraged by the further progress we have made, especially on a number of key operational measures, cash flow and costs.”

Thinking this is a good recovery stock. Home Delivery getting bigger and bigger.

Schroders > 5%

Morrisons pilots its first standalone halal meat counter

http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/fresh/morrisons-pilots-its-first-standalone-halal-meat-counter/373980.article?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wont be shopping at Morrisons anymore.

It's a corker eh gf?

Have you two got access to the Grocer?

No.

In that case how can you both make comment if you have not read the content?