anything under 7 cheap cheap cheap. good div. just paid. chart looks sick

Marks and Sparks looks like a trading buy as long as the FTSE doesnt have a market correction. As usual speculative takeover talk surrounds this stock.

500p+ on Monday £ 8bn bid coming in.

I have a nice few of these but fear the bid rumour for M&S is designer …which would be the right way to play the game before a set of poor results….I love the company.. but £5 would probably convince me…

M&S and OCDO both in extended auction.............

Had a Limit buy @ 381 ETX just executed it @ 398.0 TXATS.

Nice timing on my chart. LOL.

Good call goldfinger.........I don’t think the rumour is believed?....even on a serious red Cyprus day like today the SP should be nearer 450p….those responsible had it off with the same stunt on Sainsbury’s…

Traders being mugged off….investors having the choice. Gimme£5

Morgan Stanley Overweight 390.40 372.50 355.00 440.00 Upgrades

Espirito Santo Execution Noble Sell 390.40 372.50 310.00 310.00 Reiterates

Oriel Securities Buy 390.40 372.50 525.00 525.00 Reiterates

Exane BNP Paribas Underperform 390.40 372.50 310.00 310.00 Reiterates

Trading Statement

M&S delivers strongest quarterly sales growth in the last two years


· Group sales +3.1% *
· Total UK sales +2.6%:Food +6.3%; GM -2.2%
· Like for like UK sales +0.6%:Food +4.0%; GM -3.8%
· Multi-channel sales +22.9%
· International sales +7.0% *


Marks & Spencer clothing sales fall again

LONDON | Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:12am BST
(Reuters) - Retailer Marks & Spencer on Thursday posted a seventh consecutive quarterly fall in underlying general merchandise sales, though the outcome was a touch ahead of expectations.

Marks & Spencer, which has been the subject of takeover speculation, said sales of its non-food products, spanning clothing, footwear and homewares, at stores open over a year fell 3.8 percent in the 13 weeks to March 30, its fiscal fourth quarter.

That compared with analyst forecasts of a decline of 4-6 percent, according to a company poll of 11, and a 3.8 percent fall in the third quarter when M&S moved to protect profit margins by offering fewer discounts.

Marks and Spencer sales nudge ahead

Marks and Spencer sales rose slightly in the first three months of 2013, as good trading from its food business offset a fall in clothing sales.

Like-for-like UK sales were 0.6% higher for the three months to the end of March compared with a year ago.

UK food sales were 4% higher than a year ago, but general merchandising - which includes sales of clothing - was down by 3.8%.

M&S said it had delivered its strongest quarterly sales for two years.

Overall sales, including its international business, were up 3.1% in the quarter.

historically this has been a very dull stock to hold ..... it's possible that there's some decent upside, but wouldn't hold my breath

Nomura Buy 429.00 420.60 420.00 500.00 Reiterates

N+1 Singer Hold 429.00 420.60 - 445.00 Retains

Final Results

Full year results:
• Group sales up 1.3%1 at £10.0bn
• Total UK sales +0.9%: Food +3.9%; General Merchandise -2.4%
• Like-for-like UK sales -1.0%: Food +1.7%; General Merchandise -4.1%
• International sales +4.5%1
• Multi-channel sales +16.6%

• Underlying profit before tax2 £665.2m (last year pro-forma3 £687.2m; reported £705.9m)
• Statutory profit before tax £564.3m (last year £658.0m)
• Underlying basic earnings per share2 32.7p (last year 34.9p)
• Basic earnings per share 29.2p (last year 32.5p)
• Full year dividend 17p per share (last year 17p)
• Net debt £2.6bn (last year pro-forma3 £2.5bn; reported £1.9bn)

Profit down, eps down, more debt and yet stock up..nuts of bull market :)

I take it the webcast went quite well!

Credit Suisse Underperform 465.60 370.00 370.00 Reiterates

Shore Capital Buy 465.60 - - Reiterates

Espirito Santo Execution Noble Neutral 465.60 370.00 370.00 Reiterates

Investec Sell 465.60 - - Retains

N+1 Singer Hold 465.60 445.00 445.00 Retains

Morgan Stanley Overweight 465.60 440.00 440.00 Reiterates

Q1 Interim Management Statement

'Some progress in General Merchandise and an excellent performance in Food'

· Group sales +3.3% *
· Total UK sales +2.7%:Food +4.5%; GM +0.5%
· Like-for-like UK sales +0.3%:Food +1.8%; GM -1.6%
· International sales +8.7% *
· M&S.com sales +29.9%

Half Yearly Report

Half-year results:
• Group sales1 £4.9bn (last half year £4.7bn)
• Underlying profit before tax3 £261.6m (last half year £287.3m4)
• Underlying basic earnings per share3 13.5p (last half year 14.1p4)
• Interim dividend 6.2p per share (last half year 6.2p)
• Net debt £2,787.2m (last half year £2,629.7m)

Statutory results:
• Profit before tax £280.6m (last year £280.0m4)
• Basic earnings per share 15.5p (last year 13.8p4)

sp 437p falling like a stone.

UBS downgrade to neutral apparently Tp 475p - finger hovering!

Just had a dabble @437p