The "athleisure" craze is helping JD Sports outrun long-term rivalSports Direct but its shares are looking pricey.
Shares in JD Sports, the sportswear chain, are racing as the company cashes in on a craze for jogging bottoms. The "athleisure" trend the term for clothes that can be worn on the high street and in the gym has pushed JD to a record half-year profit.
Retailers are suffering as sales move online, but the company has positioned itself as "the home" of athleisure, dominated by designer lycra and pricey trainers. The chain's growth has been so fast, pushing up sales 20% to £971m, that it would be "unreasonable" to expect it to continue at its current pace, said the group's chairman, Peter Cowgill.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
"Never underestimate" the ability of the fashion industry "to reinvent a trend, give it a fancy name, and try to tell you it's new", says Ben Marlow in The Daily Telegraph. Athleisure is nothing more than an excuse to look fashionable while slouching around in tracksuits for the entire weekend.
Because models are "strutting around" in tracksuit bottoms, many Londoners are slavishly copying the trend, turning up to work in their yoga pants. But it may be more than a passing trend. Staying fit and showing it off has become a cultural norm: going to the gym is no longer a chore, but an "aspirational" form of living, so it's "no longer shameful" to parade around in gym gear.
Contrast JD Sports with its embattled rival Sports Direct, says Paul McClean in the FT. While JD says it has athleisure "sewn up", Sports Direct has focused on being the cheapest retailer, meaning it has missed the trend, as its founder, Mike Ashley, has been embroiled in questions over conditions for workers. As a result, JD's shares are up 50% in the last year, while Sports Direct is down by two-thirds.
JD is showing Ashley "how the game should be played", says Jim Armitage in the Evening Standard. It has no zero-hours contracts and directly employs most of its staff. While Ashley has argued with suppliers about how their products are piled up, JD works with them "hand in glove", setting aside dedicated space for key brands, such as Adidas and Nike. That has fostered a sense of "theatre" around the gym-buying obsession. It is "marketing claptrap, but it works".
The divergence in the two firms' fortunes has been growing for a while. Over two years, JD has shot up 250%, as Sports Direct has issued successive profits warnings. But the stockmarket, Armitage says, is up to speed. Like its lycra gym pants, JD looks overpriced, on a lofty price-earnings multiple of 27 times. Sports Direct is on 6.9 times. "For all the quality on offer at JD Sports, if I were looking for a shares bargain, I know where I'd go."
IPO watch: doughnut king Krispy Kreme
The UK initial public offering (IPO) market has been lacklustre for most of this year, but Krispy Kreme is likely to tempt investors. The IPO is expected to raise around £200m but is it likely to be a good long-term investment?
Trading IPOs can be a winning strategy: between 1965 and 2005, new listings in the US jumped by an average of 22% in their first month of trading, according to one study. However, studies have also found that hot performance early on is usually followed by poor returns. Add in the trend towards healthier eating and it's likely that Krispy Kreme shares will be a bit too sickly for prudent investors.
-
Who is the richest person in the world?The top five richest people in the world have a combined net worth of $825 billion. Who takes the crown for the richest person in the world?
-
Top 10 stocks with highest growth over past decade - from Nvidia, Microsoft to Netflix, which companies made you the most money?
We reveal the 10 global companies with the biggest returns since 2013. One firm has posted an astonishing 9,870% return, meaning a £1,000 investment would now be worth almost £82,000.
-
Frasers is showing the rest of the retail world how it’s done
Tips Frasers Group – formerly known as Sports Direct – is a company many people love to hate. But its policy of judicious acquisitions and its move upmarket have proved to be a huge success and profits are booming, says Rupert Hargreaves.
-
Will JD Sports rescue Debenhams?
News JD Sports has emerged as a “serious contender” to rescue Debenhams, a move that would escalate its rivalry with Mike Ashley, owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser.
-
Shambles at Sports Direct
Features A chaotic set of results at Sports Direct last week wiped a fifth off the shares and fuelled speculation that the company will be taken private. Alex Rankine reports
-
JD Sports is ready to run
Features Retailer JD Sports could buck the sector trend and looks attractively valued, says Matthew Partridge.
-
The cloud over retail has a silver lining
Cover Story A sense of gloom hangs over the retail sector – but pick the right stocks at the right price and there are still potential pots of gold out there for long-term buyers, says Phil Oakley.
-
Gamble of the week: Sports Direct
Tips From an investment perspective, there is a lot to dislike about Sports Direct, says Alex Williams. But could it be worth a punt?
-
Company in the news: JD Sports
Features Phil Oakley tipped retailer JD Sports last April. Here, he sees how the company has got on, what investors should do now.
-
Shares in focus: JD Sports leaves competitors standing
Features Retailer JD Sports is in great shape, says Phil Oakley. Can the company keep on delivering the goods?
