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(AWP Alliance News) - JD Sports Fashion PLC on Thursday reported a 'resilient' year with sales rising in a 'muted' market, saying it will increase its shareholder returns despite lower profit. JD Sports shares were up 5.8% to 71.94 pence early Thursday in London. It was the top gainer in the FTSE 100 index, itself down 0.7%. The Lancashire, England-based sports and outdoor wear retailer said pretax profit fell 12% to GBP629 million in the financial year that ended January 31 from GBP715 million in financial 2025. Basic earnings per share fell 9.2% to 8.63 pence from 9.50p. The decline in profit was despite revenue rising 11% to GBP12.66 billion from GBP11.46 billion. Revenue was up 12% at constant currency. However, JD Sports incurred higher operating costs and paid more interest on lease liabilities. 'We delivered a resilient performance, achieving organic sales growth of 2.1% despite tough market conditions,' Chief Executive Regis Schultz said, citing the retailer's 'customer-led focus, alongside disciplined cost and capital management'. Free cash flow rose 36% to GBP462 million from GBP339 million. On the back of this, JD Sports declared a 0.87 pence per share final dividend, up from 0.67p a year before. This increased its full-year dividend by 20% to 1.20p from 1.00p. The company also said it will start a rolling annual share buyback worth GBP200 million. The first tranche of this, worth GBP100 million, will be completed in the first half of financial 2027. Turning to financial 2027, JD Sports said first-quarter organic sales were flat annually and down 2.3% on a like-for-like basis. Within like-for-like sales, Europe was down 4.2% and the UK down 4.0%. North America was down 0.6%, though up 0.4% excluding Finish Line, whose stores are being converted to the JD brand. Asia Pacific was up 5.2%. Looking ahead, JD Sports widened its financial 2027 guidance range for profit before tax and adjusting items to between GBP750 million and GBP850 million. This profit measure was GBP852 million in financial 2026, down 7.7% from financial 2025. Free cash flow in financial 2027 is expected to be GBP460 million to GBP520 million. 'Whilst we continue to expect muted market growth in FY27, we remain confident in JD Group's medium-term trajectory, underpinned by our strong brand partnerships and agile, multi-brand model,' CEO Schultz said. By Tom Waite, Alliance News editor Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - World capitals and markets were waiting on Thursday for Tehran to respond to Washington's latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf. Asian stocks soared and oil prices fell after US President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks, and Iran said it would pass on its latest position to mediator Pakistan. Any agreement to prolong the ceasefire between the US and Iran could also lower tensions in Lebanon, where an already fragile truce with Israel was under renewed strain after a strike on southern Beirut killed a Hezbollah commander.   The war, launched by the US and Israel in late February, has seen Iran respond with attacks across the Middle East and impose a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf oil and gas industries and a strategic trade route. Trump had this week briefly launched a naval operation to escort commercial vessels and force open the strait, only to stand it down within hours, citing progress on negotiations with Iran, which have been mediated by Pakistan and supported by Washington's Gulf Arab allies. 'We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday, adding his now habitual threat to return to bombing if Tehran refuses to back down to US demands. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the US proposal remained 'under review' and Tehran would communicate its position to mediator Pakistan 'after finalising its views'.  According to a report from US network NBC News, Trump's U-turn came after Saudi Arabia - whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly talked directly to Trump - refused to allow US forces to use its airspace and bases for the operation to force passage through Hormuz. US news outlet Axios, citing two officials, reported that both Tehran and Washington were close to agreement on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme.  Oil prices fell again, tumbling by two percent Thursday - having fallen around 10% over the previous two days - and Tokyo's Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by revived optimism that the talks will bear fruit. Energy prices are still much higher than before the conflict, but international standard Brent and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate are both now below the symbolic USD100 level. Markets have been particularly concerned about the Strait of Hormuz, which in peacetime carries a fifth of the world's oil and LNG trade as well as a good chunk of its fertiliser. Fears surged on Monday when the South Korean cargo ship HMM Namu caught fire while attempting to transit the channel despite Iran's blockade.  Trump later claimed Iran had 'taken some shots' at the vessel and urged South Korea to join US-led efforts to restore shipping through the strait, while Tehran's embassy in Seoul said it 'firmly rejects and categorically denies' the allegations.  In Tehran, meanwhile, one resident told Paris-based AFP journalists that the prospect of any deal with the current Iranian government was 'terrifying'.  'We've gone through so much hardship and suffering, and no achievements for the people?' said translator Azadeh, 43. 'I honestly just hope they finish this regime.'  On the Lebanese front, Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Wednesday in the first such attack in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander from its elite Radwan force, a source close to the Iran-backed group told AFP.  At least 11 others were killed in strikes across the country's south and east, Lebanon's health ministry said. The Israeli military said in a statement Thursday that an 'explosive drone impact' had wounded four of its soldiers - one severely - in southern Lebanon the previous day. By AFP teams in Tehran, Washington, Beirut and Jerusalem source: AFP Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - Eurozone retail sales fell less than anticipated on-month in March, data published by Eurostat showed Thursday. Retail sales in the eurozone fell 0.1% in March, less than a 0.3% decline in February which was revised down from a 0.2% contraction, and better than the FXStreet-cited consensus of a 0.3% decline in March. Across the EU, the best monthly climbs in March in retail sales were in Slovenia with 4.3%, followed by Luxembourg with 4.0% and Belgium with 3.6%. The worst monthly declines were in Germany with 2.1%, Malta with 0.4%, and Italy and Latvia both with 0.1%. On-year, retail sales in the eurozone grew 1.2% in March, slower than 1.3% in February which was revised down from 1.7%. It however beat the consensus for a 1.0% uptick in March. The strongest annual rise in retail sales in March the EU was in Bulgaria with 12.4%, followed by Hungary with 8.2% and Malta with 7.5%. Decreases were observed in Romania, were retail sales fell 2.3% on-year, and in Germany, down 2.0%. By Tom Budszus, Alliance News slot editor Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.