B & M Europ.Value Retail

B&M European Value Retail granted seven executives off-market, free options over a total of 466,729 ordinary shares at 10 pence each. The largest allocations went to Jonathan Parry and Simon Hathway with 87,183 options each, followed by Alexander Simpson (68,696) and other managers. The transactions were disclosed under reporting obligations. » More on de.investing.com

B&M recorded a like-for-like sales decline of 2.3% in the UK in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, which it attributed to a weaker garden range after a very strong year-earlier comparison. Group revenue rose 2% to £1.43bn, supported by strong growth in France and at Heron Foods. The company expects margin improvements over the year, is rationalising its FMCG range and confirmed the appointment of Atheeq Ahmed as CFO (to take office Feb 2027), while Peter Watermann is serving as interim CFO. » More on de.investing.com

B&M European Value Retail shares fell about 4.2% to 195.4p after the first-quarter 2027 report, as metrics and comments on margins and like-for-like growth missed consensus expectations. Additional downward pressure came from the departure of the interim CFO, several board changes, high debt and weak performance at Heron Foods. A planned share buyback is to be formally approved at the annual general meeting on July 21, but it did not dispel investor uncertainty. The reaction is seen as a company-specific reassessment of recovery prospects; the share price remains well below the 52-week high of 268.8p. » More on de.investing.com