Tesco is one of the worlds leading international retailers. Since the company first the trading name of Tesco, in the mid 1920s, the group has expanded into different formats, different markets and different sectors. The UKs leading retailer Tesco was floated on the stock exchange in 1947 and in 1995 took over rival Sainsburys position as the UK number one. The principal activity of the group is food retailing, with over 2,000 stores worldwide. Tesco has a long term strategy for growth, based on four key parts: growth in the Core UK business, to expand by growing internationally, to be as strong in non-food as in food and to follow customers into new retailing services. The company launched a home shopping service in 2000, allowing customers to order their shopping online. Tesco is now expanding its convenience stores and overseas into areas such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Poland, the US and Ireland.

Upper graph = 12 month share price with 6 month moving average
Lower graph = 12 month volume (red line = volume average).

April 4, 2012 8:40 pm Tesco’s top team needs to reconnect
By Alison Smith
It is a corporate commonplace that the exit of a longstanding chief executive poses challenges for his or her successor. In the case of Tesco, Sir Terry Leahy’s departure has provided interesting times not only for Philip Clarke, but for the new chairman of the UK’s largest retailer by sales: Sir Richard Broadbent.

Mr Clarke says Tesco must reconnect with customers. For Sir Richard the task is reconnecting with shareholders.
That relationship had begun to fray even while Sir Terry was at the helm. In July 2010, for example, Tesco suffered a substantial investor revolt on pay.

After January’s profit warning wiped £5bn from the market value, shareholders’ targets multiplied, taking in not just poor performance in the core UK business but the “defensive” attitude of management, including board members.

Investors think Sir Richard knows the corporate culture must change and sees the attitudes of new directors as critical.

The shift will be tricky. The group has a tradition of growing its own talent: will the mindset Sir Richard seeks be found among Tesco lifers? Equally, a business with such a strong identity may be difficult to join at a senior level.

Reconnecting with customers is, in some ways, more readily addressed – although probably not on the one-year turnround timescale to which Mr Clarke has committed himself.

The revamp of Tesco’s £1bn value own-label range is a start, as are commitments to recruiting 20,000 extra staff, and softer colours in stores. Not that any of that will provide instant cause for investor cheer.

The underlying task is longer term. A key element in Tesco’s UK expansion was its ability to take its brand into non-food areas such as personal finance because the trust it had established with customers meant they were happy to follow it into less familiar terrain.

The supermarket will have to provide a reliably positive experience for many months if it is to revive that glow and persuade more people to shop at Tesco because they want to, rather than because they feel they have to.

waitrose "essential" range carries the same implication of poorer quality at a cheaper price ..... i don't know who these dumb marketing guys are who fail to register this obvious public perception

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/08/tesco-scrap-banking-us

Tesco: In need of a little help

To turn around the supermarket giant Philip Clarke must address five key problem areas when he presents annual results next week, says James Thompson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/13/tesco-brand-revive-experts

The full year results from supermarket leviathan Tesco will probably garner the most attention. The company has already given guidance on what the full year figures are likely when it provided a trading update in January that was interpreted in all quarters as the company's first profits warning in living memory, so the focus will be on the turnaround plan for the core UK supermarket chain. For the record, however, the market is expecting profit before tax of £3.6bn on sales of £65.8bn. Earnings per share are tipped to be 33.6p while the dividend - which is becoming a key appeal of the shares as an investment - is seen rising to 15.06p for the whole year from 14.46p the year before. However, Panmure Gordon thinks the group might freeze the final dividend, which would mean a full year pay-out of 14.72p.

There cannot be many supermarkets in the world that own their own container port. But then there are not many like Tesco.





http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9204571/Why-the-Tesco-flag-has-slipped-to-half-mast.html

Investor returns must take priority for Tesco



For Tesco, the focus is no longer on how much it earns but how much it spends

Tesco's share price to recover after their full year results?

Woodford: After 20 years goodbye to Tesco shares:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2130658/Fund-guru-Neil-Woodford-sells-Tesco-shares.html

Final Results.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS 2011/12
52 weeks ended 25 February 2012

RECORD GROUP RESULTS - £1 BILLION UK INVESTMENT UNDERWAY

Financial headlines:

· Group sales up 7.4% to £72.0bn*, up 5.9% exc. petrol
· Statutory profit before tax up 5.3% to £3.8bn; Underlying profit before tax up 1.6% to £3.9bn
· Group trading profit up 1.3% to £3.8bn - UK down (1.0)% to £2.5bn; International up 17.7% to £1.1bn
· Underlying diluted EPS growth of 2.1%**; dividend per share growth of 2.1%
· Results in line with latest market consensus***
· Increase in return on capital employed to 13.3%; 2014/15 14.6% target maintained
· Financial strategy to put increased focus on delivering sustainable business growth, improving returns and higher level of cash generation
· Reducing Group capital expenditure from £3.8bn in 2011/12 to £3.3bn in 2012/13

Business update:

· UK plan being implemented, beginning with recruitment and training of over 8,000 new staff in existing stores - part of 20,000 net new jobs over two years
· UK net new space growth to reduce by 38%, with renewed focus on existing portfolio reflected in a comprehensive Refresh programme, starting with 430 stores in 2012/13
· Internet investment increasing rapidly across the Group - new Tesco Direct website launched
· Tesco Bank migration to complete next month - ready for further growth
· United States losses reduced by 17.7%; on track for further significant reduction in current year
· Market share increases in 10 of our 13 markets****
· We donated £74.5 million to charities and good causes in 2012/13, including significant support for Thai communities affected by last year's tragic floods
· Recognised as best retailer in the Carbon Disclosure Project's Global 500 Index

UK Plan - Building a Better Tesco:

· £1bn commitment this year to improve the shopping trip for customers - including c.£0.4bn of capital investment - focused on six key elements:
1. Service & Staff - more staff for existing stores, initially in fresh food departments
2. Stores & Formats - faster store Refresh programme; introducing warmer look and feel
3. Price & Value - better prices and promotions, more personalised offers
4. Range & Quality - better ranges, starting with re-launching the Tesco brands
5. Brand & Marketing - better, clearer, more relevant communication with customers
6. Clicks & Bricks - Click & Collect roll out, transforming range and online presence

14+p div 27/4 lovely.,.

Final dividend is 10.13p (full year 14.76p)

What was the ex dividend date ?

It will be around the 25th April I'd guess - its not yet been announced as far as I can find.

It will be 25th Apr, paid 6th June 2012.

Quick fall on some volume.

That was a shortlived rise for Tesco bunny here......

TSCO looks like a short SBRY is a better buy at present as they still have their Gulf shareholders onboard.

I'm looking to get back in Tesco....but not sure when....