If you’d invested in: Next and Superdry

Shares in clothing retailer Next soared last September after the firm reassured investors with a “modest” profit upgrade.

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Shares in clothing retailer Next (LSE: NXT) soared last September after the firm reassured investors with a "modest" profit upgrade. They then slipped in October after Next warned that sales remained "extremely volatile" and would probably decline.

In May Next raised its full-year profit forecast from £705m to £717m as the sunny weather boosted quarterly sales; full-price sales in the 14 weeks to 7 May rose 6% as an 18.1% increase in online sales offset a 4.8% decline in stores. Still, Next doesn't expect to see similar growth rates again this year.

Be glad you didn't buy...

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Superdry (LSE: SDRY)

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In May they fell again as Superdry revealed that sales in its shops fell 6% year-on-year to £86.1m in the three months to the end of April, partly because of cold weather. Investors were also spooked by the retailer's forecast of only "high single-digit" revenue growth in its new financial year; the firm has warned of "challenging conditions".

Alice Gråhns

Alice grew up in Stockholm and studied at the University of the Arts London, where she gained a first-class BA in Journalism. She has written for several publications in Stockholm and London, and joined MoneyWeek in 2017. 

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