J D Wetherspoon (LON:JDW) Announces Earnings Results

J D Wetherspoon (LON:JDW) posted its earnings results on Friday. The company reported GBX 51.60 earnings per share for the quarter, Digital Look Earnings reports. J D Wetherspoon had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 15.81%.

J D Wetherspoon Stock Up 8.7%

JDW stock traded up GBX 70.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching GBX 883.50. The company had a trading volume of 1,034,921 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,429,339. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 811.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 701.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 358.49, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.30. The company has a market capitalization of £931.26 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 1.13. J D Wetherspoon has a fifty-two week low of GBX 530.50 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 915.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JDW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a GBX 800 price target on shares of J D Wetherspoon in a research report on Friday. Shore Capital Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a GBX 813 target price on shares of J D Wetherspoon in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 728.25.

Trending Headlines about J D Wetherspoon

Here are the key news stories impacting J D Wetherspoon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Annual revenue increased 5.2% to approximately £2.24 billion, with sales surpassing £2 billion. The company also reported positive like-for-like sales momentum over the latest nine-week period, indicating continued customer demand. Wetherspoon Revenue Rises 5.2% as Higher Costs Reduce Annual Profit
• Positive Sentiment: The stock reached a new 52-week high, reflecting strong recent momentum. It is trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting that investor sentiment remains supportive despite the weaker profit outlook. J D Wetherspoon Hits New 52-Week High
• Neutral Sentiment: J D Wetherspoon reported quarterly EPS of GBX 51.60, a net margin of 2.52% and return on equity of 15.81%. These figures show profitability remains positive, although margins are thin for a highly leveraged operator.
• Neutral Sentiment: Peel Hunt and Shore Capital both reaffirmed “hold” ratings, with price targets of GBX 800 and GBX 813 respectively. The recommendations suggest analysts see limited near-term upside after the recent share-price advance. J D Wetherspoon Given Hold Rating at Peel Hunt Shore Capital Reaffirms Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Annual pre-tax profit fell 28% as wage, utility, business-rate and other operating costs increased. Chairman Tim Martin also highlighted the impact of higher taxes, meaning sales growth is not translating into comparable earnings growth. Wetherspoon Annual Pre-Tax Profit Falls 28%

About J D Wetherspoon

J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs and hotels throughout the UK and Ireland. The company aims to provide customers with good-quality food and drinks, served by well-trained and friendly staff, at reasonable prices.

The pubs are individually designed, and the company aims to maintain them in excellent condition.