英国酒吧连锁企业JD Wetherspoon公布今年第四次利润预警，警告全年利润可能低于市场预期[1]。该公司股价随即在周三上午下跌10%[1]。
主席Tim Martin指出，第四季度销售略低于预期，同时食品、劳动力、维修、能源和商业税等领域成本持续上升[1]。英国最低工资上调和商业税于4月1日生效[1]，加重了运营压力。
截至7月19日，公司12周内可比销售额仅增长4%[1]。尽管世界杯期间销售有所增长，但增幅未能达到预期[1]。北美主办的世界杯晚间比赛时间对部分酒吧业主形成了挑战[1]。
JD Wetherspoon目前运营793家酒吧，遍布英国和爱尔兰[1]。公司预期净债务达到7.2亿英镑，与上一财年相符，低于之前预计的7.4亿至7.6亿英镑[1]。
British pub chain JD Wetherspoon has issued its fourth profit warning in 2023, cautioning that full-year earnings will likely fall short of market expectations [1]. The company operates 793 bars across the United Kingdom and Ireland [1].
Chairman Tim Martin attributed the downgrade to rising costs across food, labor, repairs, energy, and business rates, combined with fourth-quarter sales that came in slightly below forecast [1]. The minimum wage increase and business tax changes that took effect on April 1st have contributed to the cost pressures [1]. Over the 12-week period ending July 19th, comparable sales grew just 4%, bolstered only modestly by World Cup activity [1].
The company's net debt is now expected to reach £720 million, matching the prior financial year and coming in below earlier projections of £740 million to £760 million [1]. The market responded negatively to the announcement, with shares declining 10% on Wednesday morning [1]. The evening kick-off times for matches hosted in North America have also created scheduling challenges for some pub operators [1].