London, 26 November 2025 – Kingfisher Plc (LSE: KGF), the owner of B&Q and Screwfix, remains firmly in the spotlight today after last night’s jump in the share price and a fresh round of analyst commentary, capped by an online investor presentation scheduled for this afternoon.
The home improvement group upgraded its profit guidance for the year to January 2026 on Tuesday, citing resilient demand in the UK and robust growth in Iberia, even as France and Poland remain weaker.
Today’s news flow is dominated by analyst reaction, broader market context ahead of the UK Budget, and Kingfisher’s efforts to engage retail investors more directly.
Key takeaways for 26 November 2025
- Profit guidance for FY 2025/26 raised to adjusted pre-tax profit of £540m–£570m, up from a previous range anchored at the upper end of £480m–£540m.
- Q3 like-for-like (LFL) sales rose 0.9%, with the UK & Ireland up 3.0%, offsetting declines in France and Poland.
- B&Q and Screwfix beat expectations: Q3 LFL sales grew 2.8% and 3.3% respectively, aided by strong trade and online growth.
- E‑commerce penetration now above 20% of sales, and trade customers account for just over 31% of group revenue.
- Share price reaction: after jumping about 6% on Tuesday to close around 309.9p, Kingfisher was trading in the 300–305p range today, still near its 52‑week high around 320p and around 20–23% higher year-to-date.
- Analysts respond: Berenberg has nudged profit forecasts higher and lifted its price target to 333p, while maintaining a Hold rating.
- Investor presentation today: Kingfisher is hosting an online Q&A session for retail investors later on 26 November, signalling a push for greater transparency and engagement.
What Kingfisher reported in its Q3 2025/26 update
Kingfisher’s Q3 trading update, covering the three months to 31 October 2025, paints a picture of steady – if not spectacular – progress in a patchy European consumer environment.
Group-level performance
- Total Q3 sales: £3.25bn, up 1.0% on a reported basis.
- Group LFL sales: +0.9%, with year-to-date LFL up 1.6%.
- Underlying growth: management emphasised that sales growth is driven by volumes and transactions, not just price inflation.
By region in Q3 (constant currency LFL basis):
- UK & Ireland: LFL +3.0%
- France: LFL –2.5%
- Poland: LFL –1.3%
- Other International (ex‑Romania, mainly Iberia and Screwfix France): LFL +10.3%
The UK remains the growth engine, France and Poland are still a drag, and Iberia continues to deliver standout growth.
B&Q and Screwfix: still the powerhouse
Kingfisher’s two UK banners again did the heavy lifting:
- B&Q
- Q3 sales: £973m, with LFL growth of 2.8%.
- Growth was both volume- and transaction-led across categories.
- E‑commerce sales jumped 19.4%, taking online penetration to 16.5%.
- B&Q’s third‑party marketplace remains a star of the story, with gross merchandise value up 43.4% year-on-year.
- Screwfix (UK & Ireland)
- Q3 sales: £712m, LFL +3.3%.
- Gains reflect a successful new loyalty programme and six new store openings.
Across the UK & Ireland as a whole, LFL sales rose 3.0%, with “core” and “big-ticket” categories (such as kitchens) showing healthy growth, while seasonal ranges were a bit softer.Kingfisher+1
France and Poland: still tough going
In France, where Kingfisher trades as Castorama and Brico Dépôt, Q3 LFL sales fell 2.5%. Management flagged weak consumer confidence, political uncertainty and strike action as factors, with seasonal categories particularly impacted by warm weather.
- Castorama Q3 LFL: –3.4%
- Brico Dépôt Q3 LFL: –1.6%, but with improving trends and continued strength in kitchens.
In Poland, LFL fell 1.3% despite signs of a broader economic pick-up and interest-rate cuts – Kingfisher says the home improvement market there has not yet turned the corner.
Iberia and Screwfix France: bright spots
Outside its core three markets, Kingfisher’s Iberia business (mainly Brico Dépôt in Spain and Portugal) delivered another quarter of double-digit LFL growth, up 9.8% in Q3, with “significant market share gains” in Spain.Kingfisher
Screwfix France, still in rollout mode, posted store LFL growth of around 51% as newer branches matured, though from a relatively small base.
Guidance raised again – and what it implies
Perhaps the most important line in Tuesday’s statement was the upgrade to full‑year guidance. Kingfisher now expects adjusted profit before tax of £540m–£570m for FY 2025/26, up from prior guidance that pointed to the top end of a £480m–£540m range.
The company also maintained its free cash flow target for the year at £480m–£520m, even after allowing for the planned acquisition of a B&Q freehold property in Q4.
Other key points from the technical guidance:
- Net finance costs are expected around £95m, slightly below last year’s £100m.
- Higher wages, taxes and inflation amounting to roughly £145m are expected to be fully offset through margin and cost actions.
- Capex has been nudged up to ~£370m for the year.
- A £300m share buyback programme, launched in March 2025, is on track to finish by the end of March 2026; around £175m has been spent so far, with a further ~£26m this year linked to a prior buyback.
Chief executive Thierry Garnier said the group had delivered “another quarter of high‑quality, volume‑led growth”, driven by e‑commerce, trade customers and strong performance in core and big‑ticket ranges – and that this progress underpins the upgraded profit outlook.Kingfisher+1
Today’s fresh newsflow: analysts and markets react
Berenberg lifts target, but stays cautious
One of the headline items today is Berenberg’s response to the Q3 update. The broker has:
- Raised its profit forecast by about 2%
- Increased its price target to 333p (£3.33)
- Kept a Hold recommendation
A Finimize summary of that call-out notes that Berenberg was encouraged by stronger-than-expected UK performance and a less severe downturn in France than feared, but still sees Kingfisher’s heavy reliance on the French market – roughly a third of group revenue – as a key risk.
Kingfisher leads FTSE gains, then cools slightly
Yesterday, Kingfisher was one of the standout movers in London. The shares climbed nearly 6% after the guidance upgrade and better‑than‑expected Q3 sales, helping lift the broader market.
A Finimize market wrap this morning highlighted that London’s blue-chip index rose about 0.78% on the back of Kingfisher’s results, even as insurers such as Beazley lagged.
Today, with investors’ attention shifting toward Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, UK indices are only modestly higher. Reuters notes small gains in the FTSE indices, led by miners and banks, with macro themes – rate-cut hopes, tax questions and geopolitical news – back in the driving seat.
Pre‑Budget temperature check on the UK consumer
Beyond the numbers, Kingfisher is being treated as a bellwether for the UK housing and DIY economy. A column in the Financial Times describes the picture as “solid but skittish”: third‑quarter revenues slightly ahead of expectations, an upgraded pre‑tax profit forecast (up roughly 8% versus last year), but consumers still nervous about future incomes and fiscal policy.Financial Times
The piece also underlines how important e‑commerce has become to Kingfisher – online sales now account for over 20% of revenue, helped by the rapid scaling of B&Q’s third‑party marketplace.
In a separate live blog, The Guardian notes that upbeat updates from Kingfisher and easyJet have contributed to a more optimistic mood in UK markets ahead of today’s Budget, even as retailers warn that further tax hikes could squeeze living standards.
Investor presentation: Kingfisher talks directly to retail shareholders
In another development specific to today, Kingfisher is staging an online investor presentation following the Q3 update. According to a notice summarised by TipRanks, the event – aimed at retail investors – will take place on 26 November 2025 and will include a live Q&A session with management.
The move fits a broader pattern of UK-listed companies trying to improve communication with individual shareholders, especially after volatile years for both equity markets and the DIY industry.
TipRanks also highlights that:
- The most recent analyst rating on Kingfisher is a Hold with a £331 target price.
- Its AI “Spark” analyst rates the stock Neutral, noting raised guidance and strategic progress but warning about valuation and ongoing headwinds in France.
- Kingfisher’s market value is currently in the region of £5–5.3bn, based on recent prices and share count.
Kingfisher share price and valuation snapshot
As of late-morning trading on 26 November 2025:
- Share price: roughly 300–305p, versus a previous close of 309.90p.
- Intraday range: about 301p–315p so far today.
- 52‑week range: roughly 227p–320p.
- 1‑year performance: up about 21% on Hargreaves Lansdown’s figures.
- Trailing P/E ratio: about 15x, with a dividend yield a little over 4%.
On many metrics, Kingfisher now trades close to the average analyst price target – Investing.com puts the 12‑month consensus around 303p, with estimates spanning 240p–365p and an overall “Neutral” stance.Investing.com
Strategy and risks: resilience with an asterisk
What’s going right
- Diversified geography: Kingfisher operates in seven European countries, with more than 1,800 stores under banners including B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, TradePoint and Koçtaş.
- Trade and e‑commerce momentum: Trade sales grew 12.1% in Q3, with penetration above 31%, while e‑commerce revenue grew 10.2%, now accounting for over 20% of sales.
- Capital returns: a large share buyback, combined with a dividend yield above 4%, underpins the total shareholder-return story.
What could go wrong
- France still critical: France accounts for around 30% of group revenue, and remains under pressure from weak consumer confidence, strikes and political uncertainty.
- Poland recovery delayed: lower interest rates have yet to translate into a visible rebound in Polish home improvement demand.
- Macro and policy risk: Kingfisher itself flags the risk of further macro softness, as well as uncertainty around the Budget, inflation and the labour market in the UK.
What to watch next
For investors, analysts and industry watchers following Kingfisher on 26 November 2025, the key things to monitor are:
- Details from today’s investor presentation – especially any comments on trading in early Q4 and customer behaviour around peak autumn–winter DIY and heating categories.
- The Autumn Budget – changes to housing policy, consumer taxes or labour-market measures could influence demand for home-improvement products and trade customers alike.
- France and Poland trends – any sign of stabilisation in those markets would be a powerful tailwind for sentiment.
For now, Kingfisher looks like a retailer that has earned the right to lift guidance, but still has to prove it can turn a patchy European consumer recovery into consistent earnings growth across all its markets.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for information and news purposes only and is not investment advice. It does not take into account your individual circumstances or financial objectives. Share prices and valuations can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the money you invest. If you are unsure about any investment, you should seek advice from a qualified financial adviser.
