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The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main Market small-caps on Tuesday. ---------- SMALL-CAP - WINNERS ---------- Wickes Group PLC, up 9.3% at 215.50 pence, 12-month range 130.60p-216.00p. The home improvement retailer had its best week ever for sales of compost and top soil in the week of the early May bank holiday in the UK, as warm weather boosts retail sales of garden supplies. Revenue rises 6.9% on-year to £533.1 million during the 17 weeks that ended April 26, driven by 9.6% growth in its Retail unit to £396.7 million. This is a 9.2% like-for-like increase. Revenue for its Design & Installation division declines 0.4% on-year to £136.4 million, which is 4.2% lower on a like-for-like basis. The group says it remans comfortable with current market expectations for adjusted pretax profit in 2025, citing a company-compiled consensus for £47.7 million. This would be up 9.4% from £43.6 million the year before. ‘While we continue to be mindful of consumer sentiment and a challenging external environment, we have a strong platform in place and we are well set to continue delivering against our strategy,’ says Chief Executive Officer David Wood. Wickes will release its interim results in late July. ---------- Marston’s PLC, up 6.0% at 43.73p, 12-month range 29.75p-47.75p. Swings to pretax profit of £19.5 million for the 26 weeks that ended March 29, from a loss of £26.9 million the year before. This is is despite revenue falling 0.2% to £427.4 million from £428.1 million, as the pub operator records a positive £2.5 million interest rate swap movement against a negative £25.8 million movement a year prior. This brings net finance costs 47% lower at £41.8 million from £78.7 million. Net asset value per share is up 13% on-year to 107 pence from 95p. Marston’s says like-for-like sales in the five weeks since March 29 are 11% higher, with the firm expecting full-year capital expenditure to total around £60 million. The company anticipates financial 2025 performance in line with current market expectations, citing a company-compiled consensus for £66.8 million in underlying pretax profit. This would be up 59% from £42.1 million in financial 2024. ---------- SMALL-CAP - LOSERS ---------- On the Beach Group PLC, down 2.8% at 262.50p, 12-month range 127.75p-284.00p. Pretax profit at the holiday travel operator rises 18% in the six months that ended March 31 to £3.3 million from £2.8 million a year prior, as revenue grows 7.2% to £64.2 million from £59.9 million. Cost of sales is up 50% to £3.3 million from £2.2 million and administrative expenses rise 3.8% to £57.9 million from £55.8 million. Expected credit losses increase to £1.9 million from £1.0 million the year before. The group declares an interim dividend of 1.0 pence per share, up 11% on-year from 0.9p. Booked total transaction value for the six-month period totals £640.7 million, up 13% from £568.7 million. On the Beach expects ‘another record year’ for its full-year results, as it remains confident in delivering adjusted pretax profit in line with a company-compiled market consensus of £38.2 million. This would be a 23% growth from £31.0 million in 2024. Over the medium term, the group says it is on track to deliver a targeted £2.5 billion in total transaction value, £100 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, and £85 million in pretax profit. ---------- Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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