Member Info for TysonX

“No point in spending today, second-guessing tomorrow, as nobody here has a clue.

Only Ocado know what the Interims look like, so let's wait and see.”

Agreed. Tomorrow is all about current market expectations and the TU here actually beating those expectations.

Few positive very recent Ocado developments/news here worth noting:

https://digiday.com/media/retail-media-meets-publishing-news-uk-future-and-ocado-tap-clean-room-tech-for-smarter-data-targeting/

https://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/25314865.ocado-brothers-clinch-deal-national-online-supermarket/

https://futureplc.com/news/future-moves-into-retail-media-with-ocado-ads/

UK retail sales pick up as hot weather combines with price inflation

Food sales grew by 4.1%, up from 3.6% the month before, as grocers continued to increase prices.

Meanwhile, non-food sales increased 2.2%, bouncing back from a 1.1% decline in May.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1074727/uk-retail-sales-pick-up-as-hot-weather-combines-with-price-inflation-1074727.html

“UK house prices fall in toughest sellers’ market in 10 years”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/16/uk-house-prices-market-rightmove-stamp-duty

“UK house prices fall in toughest sellers’ market in 10 years”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/16/uk-house-prices-market-rightmove-stamp-duty

UK economy contracts again in May, missing expectations for slight rebound

The latest monthly growth figures from the ONS showed U.K. GDP contracted 0.1% month-on-month in May. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 0.1% expansion.

Weakness was concentrated in production output, down 0.9%, and construction, which fell 0.6%.

The figures will come as a blow to Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, who has made rebooting economic growth and reducing the U.K.'s budget deficit her core aims.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/07/11/uk-gdp-data-for-may-2025.html

Savvy Coronation Fund Managers, BYIT’s biggest known holder at 12%+, is talking directly with CEO Sam Mudd and the board — they see the real plan, not just the headlines. Their rapid and sizeable stake increase shows they believe the recovery story is credible and realistically achievable. Smart money buys and holds here — BYIT looks heavily oversold and extremely undervalued now. GLA!

Based on every metric, BYIT is now undoubtedly one of the most Oversold and Undervalued shares trading in the FTSE 350, and particularly evident when reviewing forward fundamentals.

Peel Hunt believes the industry is seeing a pause rather than reduction in customer IT budgets and that companies will continue to invest in AI, cloud and cyber security to lower costs and risk.

The broker, which reiterated a Buy rating on Bytes with a price target of 638p, said: “While changes to the sales team added friction, we believe this is transient and trust management to return Bytes to 10%-plus operating profit growth.”

https://www.ii.co.uk/analysis-commentary/ftse-250-profit-warnings-greggs-and-bytes-technology-plunge-ii535778

The warning by Bytes Technology that it had experienced some deferral of customer buying decisions impacted stocks across the software and IT services.

Softcat, for example, traded back where it was in early April even though the IT infrastructure technology and services specialist upgraded profit guidance on 28 May.

Computacenter, which reiterated guidance in its most recent update on 1 May, fell back to a level last seen in mid-April.

Bytes, which helps organisations including the NHS and HMRC to integrate AI and to transform operations using Microsoft Copilot and other tools, is 12% lower year-to-date at 370.6p.

The group, which serves about 6,000 customers in the corporate and public sectors, expects gross profit to be at a similar level to last year and operating profit marginally lower. This should be followed by more normalised growth in both metrics in the second half.

Chief executive Sam Mudd said a more challenging macro environment had been compounded by the near-term effect of changes in the operating model of its corporate sales team.

She said: “While this has affected trading, our value proposition remains strong.

“We're seeing continued engagement, a healthy pipeline and remain confident that as these sales team changes bed in, we will be a stronger business, better aligned to meeting our customer needs and drive sustainable growth."

Peel Hunt believes the industry is seeing a pause rather than reduction in customer IT budgets and that companies will continue to invest in AI, cloud and cyber security to lower costs and risk.

The broker, which reiterated a Buy rating on Bytes with a price target of 638p, said: “While changes to the sales team added friction, we believe this is transient and trust management to return Bytes to 10%-plus operating profit growth.”

https://www.ii.co.uk/analysis-commentary/ftse-250-profit-warnings-greggs-and-bytes-technology-plunge-ii535778

A couple of broker upgrades will now do very very nicely for here from tomorrow onwards

Proactive company that is also cash rich, and with no debt plus decent dividends ahead, what’s not to like, particularly since upside potential here now by far exceeds any downside risks, all IMHO!

Persimmon: Plenty in the tank despite worries over the housing marker, says American bank

JP Morgan has reiterated its positive stance on Persimmon PLC (LSE:PSN), calling the housebuilder's mid-term targets "a significant source of earnings and valuation upside".

The shares are rated 'overweight' with a price target of 1,520p, implying plenty of headroom from their current level.

Persimmon has outpaced the wider sector so far this year, rising 14 per cent compared to a 10 per cent average gain.

However, the shares have slipped 5 per cent since the new Labour government came to power, despite its pledge to boost housebuilding by overhauling the planning system. That drop, says JP Morgan, leaves the door open for fresh gains.

At the heart of the investment case are Persimmon's medium-term ambitions: to deliver a 20 per cent operating margin and a 20 per cent return on capital employed (ROCE) by 2029.

If those targets are hit, the analysts estimate earnings could nearly double. Even a simpler valuation approach, linking past ROCE levels to price-to-net asset value ratios, suggests upside of 45 per cent from today's valuation.

Beyond the headline numbers, JP Morgan believes there is more to Persimmon's business model than the market appreciates.

The group is unusually vertically integrated for a UK housebuilder, making its own bricks, tiles and timber frames. That control over materials can shave a few percentage points off build costs — no small feat in a sector where margins are under constant pressure.

Persimmon has also launched a shared equity scheme aimed at helping buyers with affordability.

With government support schemes still thin on the ground, JP Morgan sees this initiative as a competitive advantage, particularly while mortgage rates remain high by recent standards.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1073682/persimmon-plenty-in-the-tank-despite-worries-over-the-housing-marker-says-american-bank-1073682.html

Is the B&M recovery underway?

B&M European Value Retail SA (LSE:BME) is showing signs of a sales rebound, with early first-quarter figures pointing to a return to positive like-for-like growth, according to Citi.

The latest till roll data suggest that UK total sales, including new space, are up around 9% year on year for the first 11 weeks of the current quarter, which ends on 28 June.

That’s ahead of Citi’s own forecast of 8.4% and well above the 6.9% estimated by Visible Alpha.

In the four weeks to 15 June, sales growth picked up notably, with a 10% year-on-year increase, an 8.5 percentage point acceleration compared with the previous four-week period.

Analysts attribute the improvement to strong performance in seasonal and garden categories, helped by better weather and the contribution from new store openings.

Importantly, general merchandise sales are continuing to outperform grocery, a mix that Citi believes could benefit margins.

The broker remains cautious about using Kantar data as a predictor of sales, citing past inaccuracies, but says the recent trends are encouraging.

Investors will now look to B&M's next update for confirmation that the business is back on a firmer growth track.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1073610/is-the-b-m-recovery-underway-1073610.html

Also noteworthy that new CEO and CFO have just bought Circa £600K of shares here, and prior to that, the Chairman also bought more than £200K at £2.87, as for today (ex-div day), and as highlighted by others, BME is likely one of the most oversold/undervalued quality shares trading in all the FTSE, patience is key in the markets, especially here IMHO.

Share price here is currently just so unbelievably under fair value that I can see multibagger potential overtime, recent drop was due to lack of guidance which will now (along with strategy) be provided by the new CEO next month prior to the EGM, I believe that was the plan all along, onwards and upwards.

New CEO and CFO have just bought Circa £600K of shares here and prior to that the Chairman also bought more than £200K at £2.87, as for today, the £32M UT close is certainly interesting, patience is key in the markets, especially here IMHO.

Https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/06/20/taylor-wimpey-shares-are-down-20-and-yield-8-is-this-the-perfect-recovery-stock/

PSN is currently trading in bargain basement territory based on forward fundamentals, especially when reviewing price to book ratio of homebuilders along with its relatively lot lower PE. Environment is also increasingly positive for housebuilders while company seems very efficient with decent, safe, and likely increasing dividends ahead. Markets are never rational but eventually do go back to fundamentals and now upside potential here by far outweighs any downside risks, DYOR.

Plan for 365 new Westbury homes submitted by Persimmon Homes

Persimmon Homes Wessex, a five-star developer, aims to build up to 365 homes in Westbury, on land west of Mane Way.

This site is part of the Wiltshire Local Plan review, earmarked for housing. The development would include solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

There are also plans for sustainable drainage systems and preserving wildlife corridors and hedgerows.

Seb Spiller, managing director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "I am delighted to announce Persimmon’s application to bring hundreds of high-quality, new homes to Westbury.

"From sustainability features and housing association homes to financial investment and green credentials, we believe we have a strong offering alongside the delivery of much-needed housing as part of this proposal.

"Having consulted extensively with the local community, its representatives, and planning experts in the Council, we are proud of the work that has gone into this application and we look forward to continuing to work with them all as we aim to make this vision a reality.

"We look forward to the opportunity to leave a positive and lasting legacy in Westbury."

Pending approval, this development would contribute significantly to addressing housing needs in the area, while also maintaining a commitment to sustainability and community infrastructure.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/25241347.plan-365-new-westbury-homes-submitted-persimmon-homes/