Next PLC (LSE:NXT) reports final results next Thursday, 27 April, with the shares down 7% from September's all-time high but praise from analysts ringing in the ears of wily boss Simon Wolfson.
We last saw numbers from the retail bellwether in January, when Wolfson expressed confidence that the FTSE 100 group will exceed £1 billion in profits for the first time in the year to January.
He raised the full-year outlook to a 10% increase in pre-tax profit, up from previous guidance for 9.5% growth, following unexpectedly strong online and overseas sales over the festive period
Markets will be more interested in what Wolfson says about the coming year, though he has already issued a series of warnings about the impact of the government's minimum wage hike and increased National Insurance charges from April, saying Next will see a £67 million hit from varuios sources of inflation, which it aims to offset through price rises and cost efficiencies.
A 1% increase in selling prices is planned to recover £13 million, alongside £23 million in operational savings.
Overseas, revenue growth in 2025 is expected to moderate from the 24% achieved so far this year to 14% in the year ahead.
Wolfson has also taken to lobbying the government in the papers, with the Conservative Peer calling on the government to stagger the tax changes, rather than introduce them fully in April.
He said Next's wage bill is set to rise by £70 million.