Credit Suisse sees "great momentum" at Next but stays 'neutral'

Credit Suisse sees "great momentum" at Next and has raised its profit forecasts for the high street retailer, lifting its target price from 6,500p to 6,800p.The bank said that the underlying momentum of the Next brand is still "very strong" after the 11.9% and 10.8% growth seen in the fourth and first quarter.However, it pointed out that "second-quarter comps for retail are nothing like as weak, and the year-on-year boost from weather is moderate".For the second quarter ending July, Credit Suisse estimates brand sales growth slowing to 8% but has raised its full-year growth forecast by nearly two percentage points to 7.9%.For the financial year ending January 2015, it now expects Next to report an adjusted pre-tax profit of £791m, up from £695m previously and slightly above company guidance of £750-790m.Despite the upgrades, Credit Suisse said: "However given the demanding long-term assumptions, the likelihood that Next's core customer is relatively sensitive to higher interest rates, and with the shares having notably outperformed during the recent sell-off, we maintain our 'neutral' rating."BC