Tesco share price has suffered a harsh reversal this month, erasing all the gains made earlier this year. After peaking at near 400p in February, the stock tumbled to a low of 320p, the lowest level since August 7 last year.
Tesco PLC's (LSE:TSCO) and J Sainsbury PLC's (LSE:SBRY) shares have struggled this year – shares in the former are down 14% in the last week, and stock in the latter is off 15%. But analysts at RBC Capital Markets see the sell-off as a buying opportunity, arguing that concerns over a potential price war sparked by Asda's aggressive discounting may be overblown.
Shares in Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) and Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) continued to fall on Monday as analysts weighed in on Asda's new turnaround plans and the potential impact on the wider sector, including what reactions there might be in terms of pricing strategy. Asda Stores Ltd said on Friday that it plans a "significant programme of strategic price investment" in 2025, with industry heavyweight Allan Leighton having been brought in to lead the company after losing market share under joint ownership by the Issa brothers and private equity group TDR.
Supermarket Income REIT PLC (LSE:SUPR, OTC:SUPIF) shares offer value and a dividend yield of 8.6%, said broker Stifel as it reiterated its 'buy' recommendation at 70p share price target. This followed an update from the real estate investment trust about various recent portfolio initiatives, including the sale of one Tesco store, lease renewals on three other Tesco sites and the acquisition of a handful more Carrefour supermarkets in France.
Supermarket Income REIT PLC (LSE:SUPR, OTC:SUPIF) has completed a series of portfolio initiatives, including the sale of a Tesco store, lease renewals on three sites, and the acquisition of additional Carrefour supermarkets in France. The company said it has sold the Tesco Newmarket store back to the grocery giant for £63.50 million, reflecting a 7.4% premium to its valuation as of last June.
Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) was downgraded by analysts as deterioration in the jobs market is set to hit the UK consumer. Calculations of UK consumer cash flow present "a constructive view" for disposable income-led growth, analysts at Jefferies said, which led them to keep 'buy' ratings on Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO), Next PLC (LSE:NXT) and J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) as they are seen as "key market share winners".
The report provides insights into Tesco's tech activities, including its digital transformation strategies, its innovation programs, and its technology initiatives. The report provides insights into Tesco's tech activities, including its digital transformation strategies, its innovation programs, and its technology initiatives.
Tesco PLC and J Sainsbury PLC both picked up market share last month as supermarket inflation slowed on demand for promotions, figures showed on Tuesday. According to Kantar, prices across UK supermarkets rose by 3.3% in January, against 3.7% a month earlier.
Tesco PLC has unveiled plans to cut 400 jobs as part of an efficiency drive as competition in the grocery sector mounts. Stretching from bakery, to phone shop, to head office positions, Tesco said the cuts would “simplify” its business.
Last week the market wiped out £1.5 billion of the valuations for Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) and J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) due to worries that the industry will see profits squeezed amidst rising costs and changing interest rate expectations, but for investors JPMorgan sees "10 reasons to buy the dip". The bank noted that this penalisation was despite underlying increases in forecasts for the companies and both the pair's positive post-Christmas reports in the week as well as the current market dynamics.
J Sainsbury has been a pretty soft performer since my last update, underperforming close peer Tesco by over 30 points in that time. The company appears to be executing well, gaining market share even as the traditional full-line grocers lose ground to discounters. Sainsbury is very much the number two player behind Tesco. Although its profitability is weaker, this is more than reflected in their respective valuations.
Tesco shares have surged over 80% since October 2022 when grocery inflation peaked. Despite strong Q3 sales growth and market share gains, macroeconomic challenges like rising inflation, higher NIC, and MLW hikes could pressure Tesco's margins. Even with the most optimistic earnings projections given the macro outlook, we don't see meaningful upside for the stock that warrants a Buy case considering its current price.