J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) investors will be hoping for some festive cheer as the supermarket reports third-quarter figures on Friday, 10 January.
Last time out in November, chief executive Simon Roberts hailed progress in Sainsbury’s food business, noting it had been going from “strength to strength”.
He added management was anticipating another strong Christmas performance, both within Sainsbury’s and its Argos wing, where trading was said to have improved recently.
Focus will be on guidance for full-year underlying operating profit of between £1.01 billion and £1.06 billion across Sainsbury’s retail division as a result.
Ambitions under Sainsbury’s ‘Next Level’ strategy, laid out last year, to grow food volumes ahead of the wider market, boost shareholder rewards and save £1 billion by 2027 will also be under the microscope.
Kantar last month reported Sainsbury’s had taken market share to hold 15.9% of the grocery sector over the three months to the start of December as sales climbed by 4.7%.
Rival Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) had racked up 5.2% sales growth in the meantime though, leaving it with its highest share of the market since late 2017, of 28.1%, as the vital Christmas period loomed.