Tesco share price: 3 things to watch out for in its half-year results
The supermarket chain has seen its shares rally more than 25% since January, but will its latest set of results give investors reason to drive further gains?
Tesco will unveil its half-year results on Wednesday, with the supermarket chain expected to deliver a respectable set figures against the backdrop of ongoing political and economic uncertainty due to Brexit.
IG looks at the key things to look out for ahead of its results.
Tesco's revenues expected to remain flat
Tesco is expected to report earnings of 7.5p a share, representing a 17.2% year-on-year, while revenues are forecast to remain flat compared with the same period last year at £31.7 billion.
The supermarket is also forecast to generate pre-tax profit of £944 million over its first six months of trading.
Will Tesco’s stock see fresh gains?
Since January, Tesco has seen its share price rally by more than 25%, up from 191p at the start of the year to trade at 242p a share as of 16:15 GMT on Monday.
Investors and analysts are relatively optimistic about the stock, with Tesco boasting a price-to-earnings ratio of 18x. This month, Deutsche Bank reiterated its buy rating for the stock and raised its target price from 285p to 295p a share.
Want to take a position on Tesco's share price? Open an account with IG
Brexit uncertainty remains a challenge for UK supermarkets
Brexit continues to weigh down the British supermarket’s share price, with there still no clarity how, when or even if the UK will leave the EU on October 31.
However, a no-deal exit seems increasingly unlikely now that parliament has passed the Benn amendment forcing the government to request an extension from Brussels if a withdrawal agreement is not reached.
If another extension is granted it will kick the proverbial can down the road until January, leaving Tesco push back Brexit preparations once again.
‘It is this fear that is holding back Tesco shares, which have otherwise done quite well so far this year, gaining 20% versus around 9% for the FTSE 100,’ Senior analyst at IG Chris Beauchamp said.
‘Certainly, with Tesco trading at 13.5 times forward earnings, well below its five-year average of 17.6 and one of the cheapest valuations in over five years, there is plenty of room for increased growth and a re-rating in the shares,’ he added.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Act on share opportunities today
Go long or short on thousands of international stocks with spread bets and CFDs.
- Get full exposure for a comparatively small deposit
- Trade on spreads from just 0.1%
- Get greater order book visibility with direct market access
See opportunity on a stock?
Try a risk-free trade in your demo account, and see whether you’re on to something.
- Log in to your demo
- Take your position
- See whether your hunch pays off
See opportunity on a stock?
Don’t miss your chance – upgrade to a live account to take advantage.
- Trade a huge range of popular stocks
- Analyse and deal seamlessly on fast, intuitive charts
- See and react to breaking news in-platform
See opportunity on a stock?
Don’t miss your chance. Log in to take advantage while conditions prevail.
Live prices on most popular markets
- Equities
- Indices
- Forex
- Commodities
Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All share prices are delayed by at least 15 minutes.
Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.
