Next, GB0032089863

Next stock raises profit guidance after strong first half

Published on 09/23/2026 at 13:21 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Next stock lifted full-year profit guidance to GBP 1.255 billion on September 23, 2026. First-half sales reached GBP 3.54 billion, up 9 percent.

Schwarzweiß-Reportagefoto von Arbeitern in einem Textil-Distributionslager — Next plc (GB0032089863): dokumentarische Schwarzweiß-Reportage aus einem großen Bekleidungs-Logistikzentrum mit fleißigen Mitarbeitern bei der Arbeit, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Next plc (ISIN GB0032089863) raised its full-year pre-tax profit guidance to GBP 1.255 billion on September 23, 2026, after first-half pre-tax profit rose 10.5 percent to GBP 569 million. The update gives Next stock a concrete earnings catalyst as the retailer enters the second half of its financial year.

Profit guidance reaches GBP 1.255 billion

According to Ground News on September 23, 2026, Next expects full-year pre-tax profit of GBP 1.255 billion, representing an 8.4 percent increase on 2025/26. The company raised the forecast by GBP 12 million, marking its fourth guidance increase of the year.

The underlying first-half result was also higher than the previous year. Pre-tax profit reached GBP 569 million for the six months to August 1, 2026, compared with GBP 515 million a year earlier, while statutory pre-tax profit rose 11.2 percent to GBP 566 million.

International sales lead growth

Group sales increased 9 percent to GBP 3.54 billion in the six months to August 1, 2026. International online sales were a sharper growth engine, rising 26.4 percent to GBP 774 million, according to Ground News.

The comparison matters because the profit increase was faster than the rise in group sales: pre-tax profit grew 10.5 percent against 9 percent sales growth. That spread points to operating leverage from stronger trading and cost savings, while the 26.4 percent international online increase shows where expansion is currently strongest.

Next stock trades on the LSE

Next stock is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker NXT. The company is classified in the consumer discretionary sector and operates primarily through retail stores and online channels, with international online sales providing the clearest quantified growth contribution in the latest half-year period.

The September 23, 2026 guidance update also contains a counter-factor: the full-year forecast depends on trading conditions continuing after a first half that benefited from stronger performance in online and international markets. The GBP 1.255 billion target therefore remains tied to execution in the second half rather than to the first-half result alone.

Guidance sets the next valuation test

For investors, the key numerical benchmark is the gap between the latest six-month pre-tax profit of GBP 569 million and the full-year guidance of GBP 1.255 billion. Next must generate GBP 686 million in the remainder of the year to reach that forecast, a calculation based on the reported figures for the six months to August 1, 2026.

The latest reported figures leave Next stock with a clear earnings framework: group sales of GBP 3.54 billion, international online sales of GBP 774 million and full-year pre-tax guidance of GBP 1.255 billion. These figures provide the measurable reference points for the next market reaction.