KINGFISHER

The current chief of the German DIY chain Obi, Sebastian Gundel, will move to the top of the British competitor Kingfisher on 1 February 2027. He succeeds Thierry Garnier, who is leaving the company at the end of the year to become CEO of Ahold Delhaize. Chief financial officer Bhavesh Mistry will lead Kingfisher on an interim basis in January. After the expected personnel change, Kingfisher had earlier raised its profit forecast and the stock rose by 1.5 percent. » More on wiwo.de

Sebastian Gundel, until now head of the German DIY chain Obi, will take over leadership of the British retail group Kingfisher on February 1, 2027. He succeeds Thierry Garnier, who is leaving the company at year-end to become chief of Ahold Delhaize. Finance chief Bhavesh Mistry will serve as interim boss in January. Kingfisher, which includes B&Q, Screwfix and Castorama, recently raised its profit forecast after a strong first half; the stock rose 1.5 percent. » More on faz.net

Kingfisher rose about 12% after reporting half‑year results that beat expectations. RBC described the outcome as strong; profits exceeded expectations in all regions and the company raised its full‑year outlook. » More on finanzen.net

Kingfisher’s shares rose by more than eight percent after the company published half‑year results that, according to analyst Richard Chamberlain, were ahead of expectations in some regions. The firm also raised its forecast, which supported the rally. Overall, however, the market remained cautious, weighed down by high oil prices and fragile sentiment. » More on finanzen.net

J.P. Morgan has placed Kingfisher on "Negative Catalyst Watch" ahead of its half‑year results and expects pre‑tax profit for the first half of £359m, about 3% below consensus. The bank cites a heatwave weighing on the B&Q business in the UK and forecasts a 1% decline in B&Q like‑for‑like sales. J.P. Morgan retains its "Underweight" rating and 290p price target, flags uncertainty over the CEO successor and the UK property market, and sees full‑year results at the lower end of guidance. » More on de.investing.com