Sports Direct owner Frasers Group’s FRAS stock price is down more than 12% this morning on revised guidance for its full-year results.
The firm, which is run by British retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley, said in a statement to markets this morning that its adjusted profit before tax would reach between £550 million to £600 million for 2024—lower than it had previously estimated.
Sustained falls in the company’s stock price also mean it has fallen out of the FTSE 100 blue-chip index, a change confirmed by administrator FTSE Russell this morning. It will now sit in the FTSE 250.
The company has partly blamed the Labour government’s first Budget in October for weaker consumer confidence and a more difficult business environment. At the fiscal event on Oct. 30, chancellor Rachel Reeves increased employer National Insurance contributions, a move Frasers said would cost it an extra £50 million per year.
“Both ahead of and after the recent Budget, consumer confidence has weakened, and recent trading conditions have been tougher,” it said.
The company also this morning reported an 8.3% drop in group revenue to £2.5 billion for the six months to the end of October. Its adjusted profit before tax fell to £299.2 million from £303.8 million.
Unprofitable parts of its acquired businesses, Game UK and Studio Retail, also contributed to weaker growth across the wider group.
At an event yesterday, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey echoed concerns around the National Insurance contribution increases, saying they were the “biggest issue” for the UK economy after the Budget.
Frasers is not the only company to fall out of the FTSE 100. Under-pressure housing developer Vistry Group VTY has also been demoted from the blue-chip index, along with B&M European Value SE BME.
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