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).

Advertising Standards Authority rules for Tesco in spat with Sainsbury's

LONDON | Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:12am BST
(Reuters) - The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled in favour of supermarket leader Tesco in a spat over price comparisons with third-largest J Sainsbury, which reacted by launching a campaign to emphasize product quality.

Britain's supermarkets, despite their focus on essential goods, are battling intensely for market share as the economy has been sluggish. Advertising is a major battleground.

Trying to fill the gap.

Interims 2nd October.

Tesco brand likely to disappear in China after merger deal
The Tesco brand could disappear in China with supermarket group close to agreeing a merger of its operations in the country with the biggest Chinese retailer.



In its most recent trading update, Tesco warned that like-for-like sales were down 4.9pc in China
Graham Ruddick By Graham Ruddick
6:33PM BST 08 Aug 2013
In another international setback for Tesco following its decision to exit the US, the retailer is expected to announce that it has agreed to merge its stores in China with Vanguard, part of the state-controlled China Resources Enterprise.

Under the terms of the proposed memorandum of understanding, Tesco will take a 20pc stake in the enlarged business, but will also have to pay Vanguard hundreds of millions of pounds.

Tesco has about 130 stores in China, but the new joint venture will have 3,000. Given that the enlarged company is eventually likely to want to operate under one brand, the Vanguard name is likely to be adopted ahead of Tesco.

Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, had ambitious plans to grow its stores and online business in China. However, in its most recent trading update, Tesco warned that like-for-like sales were down 4.9pc in China.

Mr Clarke has pledged to take a disciplined approach to expanding overseas, particularly in new markets.

More on the above..


China Resources Enterprise mulls JV with Tesco on supermarkets operation

HONG KONG | Fri Aug 9, 2013 1:16am BST
(Reuters) - China Resources Enterprise Ltd (0291.HK) said on Friday is considering a joint venture with Britain's Tesco PLC (TSCO.L) for the operation of hypermarkets and supermarkets in China.

The Chinese conglomerate would hold about 80 percent of the joint venture, which would also be involved in convenience stores, cash and carry business and liquor stores in China. Tesco would own 20 percent of the unit, the Hong Kong-listed company said in a filing to the stock exchange.

Tesco Plc (TSCO.L), the world's number three retailer, is set to announce on Friday an agreement to merge its operations in China with a division of state-controlled retailer China Resources Enterprise (CRE) (0291.HK), Sky News reported on Thursday citing people close to the talks.

Tesco and CRE sign Memorandum of Understanding

Back in the game @ 373.0 tight stop.

Tesco has just given up in China.

Exane BNP Paribas reiterates outperform, target raised from 385p to 425p.

How Tesco is trying to win back the UK consumer

Tesco sells Fresh & Easy to Yucaipa

Tesco today announces that following its strategic review in the United States, it has agreed a sale of the substantive part of Fresh & Easy's operating business to YFE Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Yucaipa Companies LLC ("Yucaipa").

As part of an orderly restructuring process, Yucaipa will acquire more than 150 stores as well as Fresh & Easy's Riverside distribution and production facilities. More than 4,000 employees will also transfer to the new business. As part of the deal, Tesco will loan the new business c. £80m, secured against the Riverside Campus facility.

Those stores not included in the transaction will be closed over the coming weeks. The total cash outflow relating to the closure of these stores, other expenses and the loan is expected to be no more than £150m. The sale to Yucaipa, which is subject to the necessary legal and regulatory approvals, is expected to complete within three months. Following the completion of the full sale and disposal process, there will be no ongoing financial exposure for Tesco.

The sale is in line with Tesco's focus on the disciplined allocation of capital to those markets with significant growth potential and the opportunity to deliver strong returns.

Cantor Fitzgerald Buy 371.75 371.75 443.00 443.00 Reiterates

Deutsche Bank Buy 376.00 428.00 415.00 Retains

Looking to try staying above 375p, RSI ticking up.

Credit Suisse Outperform 377.30 377.30 430.00 430.00 Reiterates

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Neutral 376.45 376.25 - 365.00 Reiterates


Tesco set to unveil 'Hudl' - its £120 rival to the iPad

Tesco will today unveil its new £120 rival to the iPad as chief executive Philip Clarke attempts to reinvigorate the supermarket giant after last year’s shock profits warning.
The retailer, which has placed its online strategy at the forefront of Clarke’s turnaround plans, has invited journalists to the London launch of the new device, which will be called ‘Hudl’.

HSBC Overweight 376.78 376.25 420.00 430.00 Reiterates

Blackrock > 5%

Jefferies International Buy 0.00 374.00 440.00 440.00 Retains

JP Morgan Cazenove Underweight 0.00 374.00 390.00 350.00 Downgrades

There was an article in the Telegraph yesterday about Tesco sales.
Maybe that plus the downgrade is what caused the blip this morning?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10331978/Aldi-sales-grow-at-record-pace.html

There is this related article :- Barclays cool ahead of Tesco results

And this earlier Business news and markets: live

09.04 The going remains tough for Tesco. Last week it emerged that it had parted ways with JPMorgan and Nomura as its house brokers, and Nomura analysts promptly downgraded the supermarket group. Yesterday, its new corporate broker Barclays trimmed its estimates for the company and said Tesco's half-year numbers next Wednesday would be "mixed". This morning, JPMorgan has come in with a downgrade of its own. Analysts at the bank cut the group to "underweight" and said:

We believe the UK food retailing industry has structural problems, and think Tesco will be most impacted. The discounters (Aldi, Lidl) are disrupting the price/range architecture that the big 4 used for two decades, the customer is demanding a simplified product range, and there is a need for reduced mid-tier pricing. With Tesco’s initiatives having had limited success, weak like-for-likes, and margins persistently above peers’, we think Tesco is more likely to go through a painful rebasing of pricing and the gross margin (synonymous to a profit warning).

That has knocked Tesco shares 2.9pc in early trade.

Interim Results 2013/14

Highlights

· £1.6bn trading profit - reflecting good progress in UK and challenges in Europe

· Interim dividend maintained at 4.63p

· UK sales exc. petrol up +1.7%, with lower net new space contribution as planned

· Sales supported by strong growth in online grocery: +13% in UK and +54% overseas

· UK Food LFL improved to +1.0% in Q2; UK trading margin stable at 5.2%

· Total UK LFL held back by initial work on transformation of general merchandise business, ahead of migration to higher-margin, higher-growth categories

· Average large-store refresh sales uplifts between 3% and 5%, with improved margin

· Q2 UK Clothing sales growth +8.6%

· Strategic review in United States concluded with sale of Fresh & Easy to Yucaipa

· Partnership formed with CRE giving Tesco 20% stake in China's leading food retailer

· Consistent approach to future growth, capital discipline, returns and cash