Looking for investment opportunities linked to this exciting event? Here are three stocks to check out.

Apparel demand will be high

One thing we always see during World Cups is heavy spending on football apparel. So, Sports Direct owner Frasers Group (LSE: FRAS) could be worth a look right now.

I expect it to see strong sales over the next few months as consumers load up on England shirts and other kit. Note that if you have a Frasers Plus account, the shirts are cheaper here than at other major retailers.

In terms of the valuation, this stock looks pretty cheap at the moment. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 98p this year and the forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is only around eight. That means there could be some value on offer.

That said, there are plenty of risks here in the medium/long term including brand risk (Frasers owns a ton of brands today), ownership risk (ex-CEO Mike Ashley owns around 70% of the shares) and macroeconomic risk. So, it’s not a stock I’d go ‘all in’ on.

Booze sales will rocket

Another thing that tends to spike during World Cups is booze sales. Typically, a lot of alcohol is consumed while the tournament is going on.

This could benefit FTSE 100 alcoholic beverages powerhouse Diageo (LSE: DGE). It’s the owner of Guinness, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker, and many other well-known names.

Now, like Frasers, there are risks to be aware of with this name. Today, many people are drinking less alcohol due to health concerns and/or GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. As a result sentiment towards the shares is weak.

Yet the stock is a long way off its highs right now (more than 50%). And at current levels, it looks pretty cheap (the forward-looking P/E ratio is only around 13). So, I think it could be worth a closer look.

What about security?

My last pick is a little more out of left field. It’s Nasdaq-listed public security specialist Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON).

I expect security to be taken very seriously during this tournament given the geopolitical backdrop. And I see Axon, which offers everything from TASERs to anti-drone solutions, as well placed to benefit.

It’s worth noting that Axon has recently mentioned that its ‘Dedrone’ solutions – which can detect, identify, track, and mitigate unauthorised or rogue drones – are going to be used to protect stadiums at this year’s World Cup. Ultimately, they’re a central part of the airspace security framework for the event.

Now, the P/E ratio here is in the 60s which adds risk. If Q2 earnings are disappointing the share price is likely to fall. However, I’m comfortable with the valuation given the company’s rate of growth with nine consecutive quarters of 30%+ revenue growth. I believe the shares are worth considering for a diversified portfolio.

Should you invest £5,000 in Diageo Plc right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Diageo Plc made the list?

Edward Sheldon owns shares in Diageo, Axon Enterprise, and Nasdaq

The post 3 shares to consider buying for the 2026 World Cup appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

Is that ambitious? Certainly, but with a price-to-earnings ratio of just 6.7 – one of the lowest in the entire FTSE 250 – it’s far from impossible.

Here’s the opportunity

As a quick introduction, Frasers Group is a global retail, real estate, and investment conglomerate. It owns multiple retail brands such as Flannels, Evans Cycles, and most notoriously, Sports Direct, as well as having a stake in others like Hugo Boss, Puma, ASOS, and Mulberry.

Today, the most optimistic share price forecast for the stock is 1,100p issued by the analyst team at Jefferies. And as previously mentioned, if this projection proves accurate, a £1,000 investment today could be worth close to £1,642 by this time next year.

So what’s behind this forecast?

3 catalysts required for success

Jefferies’ bull case stands on three distinct pillars:

1. The group’s ‘Elevation Strategy’ succeeds in transitioning the product range from low-margin to high-margin premium products.
2. Fraser’s portfolio of other brands (Hugo Boss, etc.) is re-rated by investors to reflect their fair value.
3. Buybacks continue to support a structural recovery of Frasers’ share price.

The third pillar is already being fulfilled with Fraser’s currently executing a £70m buyback programme. It’s the first and second pillars that are a bit more challenging.

Pillar number two will require a positive shift in sentiment towards luxury goods – a market that’s currently in the midst of a cyclical downturn due to lower global consumer spending.

As for pillar number one, here management does have control and is actually showing encouraging early signs of progress. Fun fact: in the latest half-year results, retail sales growth remained modest at 5.1%, but retail profits shot up 12.2% thanks to expanding margins.

With underlying pre-tax profits on track to potentially reach as high as £600m in its 2026 fiscal year (ending in April), up from £560.2m, this FTSE 250 stock does indeed look ludicrously cheap compared to the current trajectory of earnings.

So what’s the catch?

Macro and governance concerns

Fraser’s core retail business appears to be chugging along nicely, even with strong consumer spending headwinds. But that resilience could soon be tested with both the UK Minimum Wage and higher Employer National Insurance contributions driving up the cost of labour as the company enters its 2027 fiscal year.

There’s also the question of Frasers’ founder, Mike Ashley. He holds close to 73% of the outstanding shares, giving him ultimate control. But with a history of erratic deal-making, public disputes, and using his shares as collateral for personal loans, it presents a significant governance risk that could hold Frasers’ shares back.

So where does that leave investors? Frasers is genuinely one of the cheapest stocks in the FTSE 250 right now, with the business performing far better than what its valuation implies. But buying shares will demand patience from shareholders who are comfortable tolerating the Ashley wildcard risk factor.

Personally, that’s not my cup of tea. But for other contrarian investors looking for a bargain, Frasers may be worth a closer look.

The post Should I buy this ridiculously cheap FTSE 250 stock today? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

Here are two cheap shares that stand out to me as worth looking at in April.

FTSE 100

After delivering years of market-thrashing returns, 3i Group (LSE:III) stock has suffered two massive drops in six months. The first came in November following the release of 3i’s half-year results, while the second leg down came last week.

Since October, this FTSE 100 stock has crashed 47%, marking one of the worst pullbacks in the private equity firm’s long history.

The reason is slowing growth at Action, the discount retailer that dominates 3i’s portfolio. It expects like-for-like (LFL) sales growth between 4% and 5% this year, which would mirror 2025. Business has been weaker than expected in France, its largest market.

For context, Action’s LFL sales growth was 10.3% the year before. So investors appear worried about this slowdown, as well as the retailer’s intention to invest between €350m and €400m by 2030 to enter the hyper-competitive US market.

3i has swung from trading at a 50% premium to the value of its portfolio to a 24% discount today. Even if Action’s implied valuation falls slightly to reflect slowing growth and US execution risk, I think there’s now an attractive margin of safety here.

If we strip out France, Action’s LFL sales growth was still a healthy 5.8% in the first 12 weeks of 2026. And management sees scope for 4,650 stores across Europe, up from 3,302 in December.

So this should be a more valuable business a few years from now, especially if it keeps attracting more bargain-seeking shoppers as inflation bites across Europe.

Another attractive thing worth mentioning is the income on offer. 3i Group owns 29.2% of 3i Infrastructure, the progressive dividend-paying investment trust from the FTSE 250. After the crash, the forward yield has crept up to around 4%, adding to the investment case.

In December I wrote that I would buy 3i stock if it sold off during a crash. Well, we haven’t had a complete market meltdown, but the stock has cratered 26% since then.

Putting my money where my mouth is, I’m going to invest in April.

FTSE 250

Down 18% since November, the second stock that looks too cheap to me is Frasers Group (LSE:FRAS). This is the sprawling retail group that owns Sports Direct, upmarket Flannels, and Evans Cycles, the UK’s leading specialist bike shop.

Frasers has also accumulated big stakes in ASOS, Mulberry, Debenhams (formerly Boohoo), Hugo Boss, Puma, and others. The danger, of course, is that consumer spending could be about to take another hit due to the war in Iran.

Despite this risk, the stock looks ridiculously cheap at just six times forward earnings, despite Frasers continuing to grow (particularly overseas).

There’s no dividend on offer here, but this frees up cash for Frasers to keep buying shares of retailers that it thinks are in the bargain basement. This includes its own, with £70m of its shares being repurchased between December and April.

Frasers is well managed, solidly profitable, and increasingly geographically diversified. The stock is 75% below City analysts’ current 12-month price target. Taking a long-term view, I think it looks sorely undervalued.

The post 2 dirt-cheap stocks to consider buying for an ISA portfolio in April appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

Which company am I talking about? And why do I think its stock’s so cheap? Let’s find out.

Who?

Frasers Group (LSE:FRAS),  perhaps best-known for owning retailers Sports Direct and House of Fraser, is a stock that tends to fly under the radar. However, since Mike Ashley opened his first store in 1982, it’s grown enormously.

Although he’s no longer involved with the day-to-day management of the group – that’s been left to his son-in-law Michael Murray — Ashley still retains a shareholding estimated to be around 73%.

By looking at the group’s recent earnings releases we know that during the 52 weeks to 26 October 2025, its adjusted basic earnings per share (EPS) was 96.9p. This means the stock currently (27 March) trades on just 6.6 times historic earnings. For context, the five-year average (median) is 9.3.

And there’s more…

However, delve a little deeper, and the stock looks even cheaper. The group’s recent strategy of establishing minority positions in other retailers and brands has seen it build a sizeable portfolio of investments. At 26 October 2025, these were valued at £1.2bn. And because of the way they’re accounted for, plus the fact that some of them are loss-making, they contribute very little to the group’s overall trading performance.

If £1.2bn is removed from the group’s market-cap, it means Frasers’ trading on only 3.8 times historic earnings.

Not finished yet…

But that’s not all. Towards the end of 2025, the group acquired two properties, the Braehead Shopping Centre and the Swindon Designer Outlet Centre. Although the group hasn’t revealed how much it paid, reports suggest they cost £220m and £145m respectively. If these figures are also removed from the group’s current stock market valuation, its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio drops to only three. That’s incredibly low for such a large — and profitable — group.

Of course, all my calculations are based on backwards-looking earnings and it’s clear that many of the UK’s retailers are struggling at the moment. Squeezed incomes and increased employment costs are affecting Frasers’ top and bottom lines.

However, even if EPS fell quite significantly in the current financial year, I still think the stock looks cheap. Analysts have set a 12-month share price target of 753p, suggesting that the group’s potentially undervalued by around 18%. As recently as July 2024, its shares were changing hands for close to 900p.

It’s difficult to know why the group’s so unloved. I suspect it’s viewed as being a bit old-fashioned. After all, it’s as far removed from the tech sector as you can probably get. It’s also UK-centric, which means it’s reliant on a domestic economy that’s a little shaky at the moment. Having one dominant shareholder probably doesn’t help either. And it’s a member of the FTSE 250, which means it can get overlooked.

Yet I still think Frasers’ stock is in bargain territory at the moment. And just one of many UK shares I believe are worthy of further consideration by value investors.  

The post 1 insanely cheap FTSE 250 share to consider buying today? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

It’s a business that’s managed to average 32% annual growth for the last 44 years. And it’s still going strong. Care to guess what it might be?

Retail

The answer is Frasers Group (LSE:FRAS). Mike Ashley started what would eventually become the FTSE 250 retail firm that exists today in 1982 with a £10,000 loan. 

Jumping ahead to today, the company’s book value is £1.99bn. That implies an average annual growth rate of around 32% over the last 44 years, which is an incredible achievement.

The company, which owns Sports Direct, Flannels and more, isn’t still growing like it was in its earliest years. But it’s managed an annual average of 9% over the last five years, which is still a very strong result. 

Source: Fiscal.ai

On top of this, the stock isn’t particularly expensive. It’s trading at a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.25, which isn’t at all high for a business that’s still putting up strong growth numbers.

Growth

Whether it’s sofa.com or the CBS Arena, Ashley’s known as a bargain hunter. But it’s no accident the company has grown so much since it was first formed. 

It’s explicitly set up for growth. One example of this is the fact that it doesn’t pay a dividend, which allows it to retain all of the cash it generates to find acquisitions.

Passive income investors should probably look elsewhere. But while the company keeps moving forward at 9% a year, growth investors don’t really have much to complain about. 

There are some risks to consider, but I think this is a stock that doesn’t necessarily get the attention it deserves. So investors might well want to take a closer look.

Strategy

Since Mike Murray (Ashley’s son-in-law) took over as CEO in 2022, Frasers has undergone a deliberate and strategic shift towards higher-end products. And that’s not all.

The firm has been investing heavily in its technology stack. It’s become a leader in Agentic Commerce in Europe and its Frasers Plus product gives it data about more than one million customers.

The transition might be the right one at the right time, but it marks a move away from the approach that gave it so much success in its early days. And that can also be risky.

Investors don’t seem to be giving the firm much credit. But the presence of Ashley as an adviser should reassure shareholders that it’s still ready to do things. Like buying a 5.8% stake in sportswear giant Puma. 

A stock to buy?

UK retail stocks can be a bit of a mixed bag. But it’s hard to argue with the success Frasers Group has had since 1982. 

It’s even harder to think of someone who understands UK retail better than Ashley. Simon Wolfson at Next might be one candidate, but that’s the only name that comes to mind.

Despite a change of direction, the company’s still growing impressively. So I think UK investors should take a serious look at what could be a very nice long-term investment.

The post Meet the FTSE 250 firm that’s averaged 32% annual growth since 1982 appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

Stunning cars but…

As I’ve always said, this company makes undoubtedly beautiful cars. I understand the emotional pull of owning a slice of the same business that gets James Bond from A to B.

I also understand the temptation to buy this stock in the hope that — after falling 98% since listing — things simply can’t get any worse.

As much as that might sound like nothing more than (very un-Foolish) gambling, it’s interesting to note that Aston Martin doesn’t seem to be getting much attention from short sellers at the current time.

If these usually-very-well-informed traders aren’t circling the shares, that’s got to be a good thing, right?

I’m not convinced

The thing is, I reckon things could get worse. Revenue has been falling and costs have been rising in 2025. And Aston Martin still doesn’t look to be any closer to making a profit.

Debt has been going up too. Although this helps to explain why owners of this stock have never received dividends, it means there hasn’t been any compensation whatsoever for the derisory performance of the shares since listing.

Unless something happens to radically alter the company’s fortunes and inject some positive momentum into the share price, such as better sales of higher-margin models, it looks like those already invested will continue to see their stakes shrink in value.

And if a market crash comes along, I’d say all bets are off.

Another UK stock I’m wary of

I’m also steering clear of Sports Direct owner Frasers Group (LSE: FRAS).

This might seem a bit odd. In direct contrast to the luxury car maker, the shares are already up 18% in 2025, easily outperforming the UK-focused FTSE 250.

However, I wonder if the current run of form is about to come to an end. The catalyst might well be this month’s Budget.

Concerns over potential tax rises could push consumers to become even more cautious in their spending. That’s not ideal given that the run-up to Christmas is incredibly important for all retailers. The latter have already had to deal with National Insurance hikes in April.

Whatever Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces later this month, I suspect management will have a lot to say about it when half-year numbers drop in December. And any indications that Black Friday sales haven’t been as good as anticipated could tank the shares.

Deceptively cheap?

Frasers Group does have some positive features. As much as founder and major shareholder Mike Ashley might divide opinion, margins and returns on the money it invests have improved in recent years. Looking ahead, increased use of AI to target customers might help to grow sales.

As I type, the shares also look very cheap at the equivalent of just seven times forecast earnings.

But again, debt has been climbing. The fact that only a small proportion of the stock is actively traded in the market could lead to sharper-than-usual price moves as well.

Throw in the aforementioned concerns over consumer confidence and the label of ‘value trap’ might prove correct in time.

The post Aston Martin isn’t the only UK stock I’m avoiding like the plague in November appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

Fingers in many pies

However, Frasers has minority positions in a number of other retailers. Fortunately, they are easy to value as most of them are in listed companies. At the end of FY25, their market value was £959m. None of their earnings are included in the group’s accounts.

Since then, two have delisted. Removing these and adjusting for current market prices gives an updated valuation of £904m.

Deduct this from the group’s current market cap of £3.278bn and we can see that investors value Frasers’ trading businesses at £2.374bn. This is equivalent to 7.8 times its historic (FY25) earnings. That’s incredibly low when compared to the stock market as a whole, the FTSE 250 and the retail sector.

The share price has traded within a range of 534p-903p over the past 12 months.

A huge incentive

In FY23, the company’s chief executive Michael Murray was awarded £100m of share options. For these to vest, he had to successfully deliver the group’s strategy, achieve an adjusted profit before tax of at least £500m in a single financial year and – most importantly of all — get the share price to £15 by October 2025.

But he’s fallen short by around 775p a share.

That’s why, at the group’s annual general meeting held this week, those holding 91.84% of its shares (including Murray’s father-in-law, Mike Ashley, who owns approximately 73% of the group) approved a new deal. But this time, the price target has been dropped to £12.

For context, over the past five years, the highest the share price has been is 949p. The remuneration committee has described the current macroeconomic and political environment as “challenging” and believes the revised (lower) target is more realistic.

Final thoughts

To be honest, I find this a little disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, as a shareholder I’d be very happy if the group’s shares increased in value by 65% by 30 September 2030. But knocking £3 off the target gives the impression of lacking ambition. After all, over the past five years, the stock’s done better than this, rising by an impressive 112%.

Perhaps members of the group’s remuneration committee are concerned that a cash-strapped UK government might want to raise taxes again. With over 30,000 employees, the group was hit hard by the April increase in employer’s National Insurance.

Or maybe they believe newspaper reports that suggest the Chancellor’s considering shifting the burden of commercial rates away from smaller shops towards larger stores.

Alternatively, they might be worried about the UK’s economic prospects. Despite recent overseas expansion, Frasers still earns the majority of its revenue domestically.

But it doesn’t really matter — £12 or £15 would still be a great return for me. And regardless, I believe the group’s shares are attractively priced. That’s why I plan to hold on to mine and why other investors could consider adding some to their own portfolios.

The post Here’s why I think Frasers Group is still one of the cheapest FTSE stocks around! appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

At one point during the day, the share price was down 5.6%. By close of business, it was 5.2% higher. That’s a swing of 10.8%!

This topsy-turvy performance suggests investors were unsure what to make of the results.

What did they show?

The group reported a year-on-year 2.8% increase in adjusted profit before tax (PBT) to £560m. This is within the £550m-£600m range it predicted in December 2024.

However, despite improved earnings, revenue was down 7.4%.

Its Premium Lifestyle division, which includes Flannels and the House of Fraser department store, was particularly badly hit with a 14.8% fall. Yet the segment was able to achieve a £20m increase in its trading profit.

And this appears to have been replicated in other parts of the group. Careful cost control — and synergies achieved through its “strategic partnerships” with other retailers – helped offset the impact of a declining top line.

The exception to this was Sports Direct. Although its results are not separately disclosed, the group reported “continued sales growth”.

Overall, the group improved its retail margin from 43.9% to 45.6%.

Looking ahead, the group’s forecasting an adjusted PBT of £550m-£600m in FY26 too. This includes extra employment costs of “at least £50m” arising from the Chancellor’s 2024 budget.

Despite this, the group retains confidence in physical stores. It has plans to open “hundreds” more over the coming year.

A bit of a bargain

Prior to the results announcement, I thought the group’s stock offered good value. Now, I’m even more convinced. And as yesterday progressed, it seemed as though more and more investors were beginning to agree with me.

At close of business, the group had a market cap of £3.06bn, equivalent to 678p a share.

With the group’s minority stakes in other businesses worth £959m, it means it’s valued at less than five times its historic trading profit.

Why such a reaction?

Declining turnover is never a good look. And even though earnings per share beat the consensus forecast, investors might be concerned that the group’s going to struggle to increase its profit further if sales are falling.

Some might also be worried by the £527m increase in net debt during the course of the year. Frasers attributes some of this to additional spending on its strategic investments. Given that it’s unclear what — if anything — the group plans to do with these stakes, investors could see it as a bad idea to borrow to buy more shares in these businesses.

The group recently renegotiated its loan facility, which could be worth up to £3.5bn.

A positive outlook

But I remain optimistic.

Its flagship brand – Sports Direct – appears to be doing well both in the UK and internationally. In addition, it continues to explore retail partnerships in Europe and Africa.

Okay, if FY26 profit comes in towards the bottom end of its forecast, this would imply no earnings growth. But £550m is still impressive and would imply a very attractive forward earnings multiple.

For these reasons, I plan to hold on to my shares. And other investors could consider adding the stock to their own portfolios.

The post What a crazy day for the share price of this FTSE 250 retailer! appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

This replaces its existing £1.65bn facility, of which £1.15bn had been drawn down at 27 October 2024. Assuming nothing’s changed, there’s potentially another £2.35bn available to the group.

But why does Frasers need extra borrowing capacity?

It might be a case of building up a bigger ‘rainy day’ fund. Retailing is a tough business, especially for a group that operates over 1,500 physical stores in the UK. And the April increase in the Living Wage and employer’s National Insurance has added £50m to the group’s costs this year.

Alternatively, Frasers might want to increase its minority stakes in other listed businesses. Although its roots are in fashion, its interests now extend to online beauty and electrical retailing.

A massive incentive

It’s interesting to me that four years ago, the group agreed a remuneration package with its chief executive, Michael Murray.

Under its terms, he’s entitled to share options worth £100m if the group’s share price hits £15 by October 2025 and remains above this level for 30 consecutive dealing days.

But I think it’s significant that Murray’s waived his £1m salary, especially given that the group (income investors look away now) doesn’t pay a dividend. It’s a case of ‘all or nothing’ for the man in charge.

Something transformational

The share price is nowhere near that as of today (10 July) but the additional funding could be used to buy another significant business, one that could transform the size and scale of Frasers. Doing so wouldn’t theoretically happen overnight and the share price more than doubling wouldn’t either, unless there was a big target already in sight.

Based on the group’s 10-year average earnings multiple of 10.4, it would need an annual post-tax profit of around £650m to get its share price to £15. That’s approximately £215m more than analysts are expecting for FY25. How might it do this? I reckon Frasers could use £2bn of its £2.35bn to buy the 80% of Hugo Boss (one of its minority interests referred to earlier) that it doesn’t already own. Doing this would add £200m to the group’s profit.

Cynics might suggest that if Murray fails, the bonus target will be extended. After all, his father-in-law, Mike Ashley, owns more than 70% of the company. But the group’s independent remuneration committee has to sign-off any deal and it’s clear that Murray has spent several years in charge focused on what’s best for the company regardless.

On reflection…

Ignoring the bonus issue, I think there are reasons why investors should keep an eye on the group. Not least, its impressive track record of growth. FY24 revenue was 40% higher than FY20’s. And its operating margin more than doubled.

Also, despite the additional employment costs, brokers are expecting earnings per share to increase by 23% over the next three years. And their average 12-month share price target is 32% higher than today’s price. Of course, these forecasts may be wrong but they do suggest a high degree of optimism about the group’s prospects.

This is why I own shares in Frasers. And why I think others could consider adding the stock to their own portfolios.

The post Is this FTSE 250 stock gearing up to more than double its market cap by October? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

A powerful force

Although he’s not a director of the group, Ashley remains an advisor to the board and its chief executive is his son-in-law, Michael Murray. And with a 70%+ stake, Ashley’s clearly influential. However, over the years, I think it’s fair to say that he’s been a controversial figure. He’s had run-ins with MPs and his public falling out with the board of Boohoo Group‘s a good example of his combative style.

But a bit like Millwall fans, I suspect investors who took a stake five years ago don’t care about Ashley’s reputation. That’s because, since June 2020, the group’s share price has risen 120%. This is against a backdrop of a struggling high street and business rates putting bricks and mortar stores at a disadvantage to their online rivals. If that’s not difficult enough, the big rise in employer’s National Insurance has significantly increased costs for the group that employs over 30,000.

Out of favour

And recent economic uncertainty (both here and abroad) has affected its stock market valuation. The group fell out of the FTSE 100 in December 2024. At 27 June, they changed hands for 26% less than their 52-week high.

But I think the stock could be one of the most undervalued on the UK market. Over the years, the group’s built stakes in other retail businesses. Based on stock exchange filings – and current market prices – I reckon these “strategic alliances” are worth around £962m. This excludes a put option which – if exercised — could see it lift its stake in Hugo Boss to 42.9%.

Tremendous value for money

If my estimate’s deducted from the group’s current market-cap of £3.04bn, it means the trading businesses that Frasers controls are valued at around £2.08bn.

For the year ended 30 April (FY25), analysts are expecting earnings per share of 96.9p. If they are right, the stock’s currently valued at just 4.8 times the profit of its trading divisions.

And despite various challenges that it’s faced over the years, the group’s consistently delivered. Turnover’s now 40% higher than it was in FY20 and its operating margin has doubled. Impressively, despite operating over 1,500 stores in the UK — and others in 20 more countries — it’s managed to embrace the internet.

For these reasons, I recently took a stake and other investors could consider doing the same.

I’ll know more about the group’s current trading when it releases its annual results. Usually this happens in July and most listed companies publish the date well in advance. But typically — thumbing its nose to convention — Frasers hasn’t said when its numbers will be released. Although to be honest, I don’t care when I get to see them just as long as they show a strong performance!

The post This FTSE 250 stock looks remarkably cheap to me! appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.