J Sainsbury plc (GB:SBRY)
LSE:SBRY
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J Sainsbury plc
(LSE:SBRY)
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Rating:70Outperform
Price Target:
381.00 p
▲(8.33% Upside)
Action:UpgradedDate:12/07/25
J Sainsbury plc's overall stock score reflects solid financial performance and strategic initiatives that enhance shareholder value. However, technical indicators suggest caution, and valuation metrics indicate potential overvaluation. The company's strong earnings call and active share buyback program are positive factors, but regulatory costs and market challenges remain concerns.
Positive Factors
Sustained volume & market share growth
Sustained volume growth and a five-year high H1 market share reflect durable customer demand and competitive positioning. Higher volumes improve operating leverage across stores and distribution, supporting resilient revenue, steadier cash generation and capacity to invest in pricing, service, and store improvements over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Rising regulatory cost headwinds
Higher statutory costs (National Insurance, EPR) and potential business rate increases are structural expense pressures. These recurring regulatory charges compress operating margins and reduce profit leverage, making it harder to absorb cost inflation or invest in pricing/promotions without eroding long-term profitability.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Sustained volume & market share growth
Sustained volume growth and a five-year high H1 market share reflect durable customer demand and competitive positioning. Higher volumes improve operating leverage across stores and distribution, supporting resilient revenue, steadier cash generation and capacity to invest in pricing, service, and store improvements over the medium term.
Read all positive factors
J Sainsbury plc (SBRY) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£7.79B
Dividend Yield4.02%
Average Volume (3M)6.05M
Price to Earnings (P/E)11.6
Beta (1Y)0.80
Revenue Growth0.82%
EPS Growth160.81%
CountryUK
Employees148,498
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryGrocery Stores
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.08
Shares Outstanding2,274,187,500
10 Day Avg. Volume7,012,525
30 Day Avg. Volume6,047,660
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.16
Price to Book (P/B)0.91
Price to Sales (P/S)0.18
P/FCF Ratio2.90
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£356.25Price Target Upside1.29% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering8
EPS Forecast (FY)0.25
Revenue Forecast (FY)£34.82B
J Sainsbury plc Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
J Sainsbury plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food, general merchandise and clothing retailing, and financial services activities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It operates through three segments: Retail - Foo...
How the Company Makes Money
Sainsbury primarily makes money by selling products to customers across its grocery and general merchandise channels, generating revenue at the point of sale in-store and through online ordering for home delivery or click-and-collect.
Key revenue...
J Sainsbury plc Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Nov 06, 2025
(Q2-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 23, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call highlighted strong performance in volume growth, investment in value and quality, and strategic gains in Argos and financial services. However, challenges remain with regulatory cost impacts and the cautious discretionary spending environment for Argos.Positive Updates
Strong Volume Growth
Sainsbury's achieved consistent volume growth and market share gains, marking their highest H1 market share in 5 years.
Negative Updates
Impact of Regulatory Costs
Higher National Insurance contributions and an EPR charge increased costs, impacting profit leverage despite volume growth.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Strong Volume Growth
Sainsbury's achieved consistent volume growth and market share gains, marking their highest H1 market share in 5 years.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
In the call, Sainsbury's highlighted several key metrics and strategic initiatives that underscored its performance and future outlook. The company achieved a 5.2% sales growth in Sainsbury's and a 2.3% increase in Argos sales in the first half, leading to a total retail sales growth of 4.8% excluding fuel. Despite facing significant cost pressures, including higher National Insurance contributions and an EPR charge, Sainsbury's maintained a strong competitive position, with a retail underlying operating profit of GBP 504 million, slightly down year-on-year. The company also reported an 18% growth in Taste the Difference fresh sales and noted its highest H1 market share in five years. Additionally, Sainsbury's achieved a significant improvement in customer value perception, being the only grocer to improve year-on-year despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The company plans to return more than GBP 800 million to shareholders this year through dividends and buybacks, reflecting robust cash generation and a focus on enhancing shareholder returns. Looking ahead, Sainsbury's expects to generate a retail underlying operating profit of more than GBP 1 billion for the full year, driven by sustained grocery volume growth and strategic investments in value, quality, and service.J Sainsbury plc Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
75
Positive
Balance Sheet
68
Positive
Cash Flow
72
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 33.19B | 32.81B | 32.70B | 31.49B | 29.89B | 29.05B |
| Gross Profit | 2.14B | 2.30B | 2.34B | 2.32B | 2.21B | 2.04B |
| EBITDA | 1.56B | 1.57B | 1.79B | 1.84B | 2.40B | 1.34B |
| Net Income | 331.00M | 242.00M | 137.00M | 207.00M | 677.00M | -208.00M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 19.49B | 24.65B | 25.06B | 26.39B | 27.15B | 25.47B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 1.47B | 727.00M | 2.00B | 1.81B | 1.02B | 1.67B |
| Total Debt | 6.54B | 6.61B | 6.55B | 7.14B | 7.38B | 6.94B |
| Total Liabilities | 13.10B | 18.00B | 18.19B | 19.13B | 18.73B | 18.77B |
| Stockholders Equity | 6.39B | 6.65B | 6.87B | 7.25B | 8.42B | 6.70B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 596.00M | 2.08B | 400.00M | 1.66B | 202.00M | 1.50B |
| Operating Cash Flow | 1.28B | 2.69B | 1.97B | 2.39B | 896.00M | 2.10B |
| Investing Cash Flow | -1.50B | -787.00M | -1.01B | -725.00M | -651.00M | -575.00M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -1.14B | -1.12B | -282.00M | -960.00M | -1.02B | -1.31B |
J Sainsbury plc Technical Analysis
Positive
351.70
Price Trends
344.95
Positive
332.76
Positive
317.65
Positive
Market Momentum
2.98
Negative
59.93
Neutral
61.13
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:SBRY, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 351.7 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 341.93, above the 50-day MA of 344.95, and above the 200-day MA of 317.65, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 2.98 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 59.93 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 61.13 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:SBRY.
J Sainsbury plc Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78 Outperform | £2.83B | 8.36 | 14.71% | 2.06% | 6.96% | 28.47% | |
73 Outperform | £29.99B | 7.58 | 13.57% | 3.25% | 1.05% | -20.25% | |
70 Outperform | £7.79B | 11.60 | 5.08% | 4.02% | 0.82% | 160.81% | |
68 Neutral | £1.65B | 14.01 | 20.47% | 3.34% | 8.06% | 5.15% | |
66 Neutral | £1.74B | 12.40 | 34.27% | 17.38% | 1.74% | -23.72% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
52 Neutral | £1.59B | 3.62 | 24.47% | ― | ― | ― |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
GB:SBRY
J Sainsbury plc
351.70
114.66
48.37%
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J Sainsbury plc Corporate Events
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights After Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Apr 1, 2026
J Sainsbury has increased its issued ordinary share capital by 10,498,377 shares during March 2026 to satisfy employee awards under its Sharesave savings-related share option scheme. Following this issue, the company’s total ordinary share c...
Other
Sainsbury Executive Buys Shares Through Company Incentive Plan
Neutral
Mar 13, 2026
J Sainsbury plc disclosed that Mark Given, its Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer, acquired 40 ordinary shares in the company on 12 March 2026 through participation in its Share Incentive Plan. The shares were purchased at a price of ...
Business Operations and StrategyDelistings and Listing Changes
Sainsbury Seeks Listing of 4 Million New Shares for Employee Option Scheme
Neutral
Mar 5, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has applied for the admission of 4,000,000 new ordinary shares to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. The shares, expected to be admitted on 9 March 2026, are reserved under a block listing and will be issued a...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights After Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Mar 2, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has increased its issued share capital by 69,033 ordinary shares between 31 January and 27 February 2026 under its Sharesave Plan, a savings-related share option scheme for employees. This brings the company’s total issued or...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Executive Buys Shares Under Incentive Plan
Neutral
Feb 13, 2026
J Sainsbury plc disclosed that Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer Mark Given acquired 40 ordinary shares through the company’s Share Incentive Plan at £3.462 per share. The transaction, conducted on 12 February 2026 on the Lon...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Updates Share Capital After Employee Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Feb 2, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has issued 22,507 new ordinary shares between 19 and 30 January 2026 under its Sharesave Plan, a savings-related share option scheme for employees. Following this issuance, the company’s total issued ordinary share capital st...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and FinancingRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury’s Updates £5bn Euro Medium Term Note Programme
Positive
Jan 23, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has updated and published the base prospectus for its £5 billion Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme, which has been approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. The renewed EMTN framework provides Sainsbury’s with...
Stock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Completes £92m Share Buyback Programme
Positive
Jan 20, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has completed a share buyback programme of up to £92 million, initiated in November 2025, with the repurchase of a total of 28,587,666 ordinary shares. The final tranche, executed on 19 January 2026 through BNP Paribas as brok...
Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
J Sainsbury Updates Market on Employee Share Scheme Allotments
Neutral
Jan 19, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has reported its latest six‑monthly block listing return, detailing activity in its employee share plans between 1 August 2025 and 16 January 2026. Under its Sharesave (Savings-Related Share Option) Scheme, the company allott...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 636,600 Shares Under Ongoing Programme
Positive
Jan 19, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 636,600 of its ordinary shares on 16 January 2026 through broker BNP Paribas, paying a volume-weighted average price of 314.1391 pence per share as part of its ongoing share buyback programme initiated in November 2...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Executive Buys Shares Under Company Incentive Plan
Neutral
Jan 16, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has disclosed that Mark Given, its Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer, acquired 44 ordinary shares in the company on 15 January 2026 through participation in its Share Incentive Plan, at a price of £3.124 per share. ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 635,800 Shares Under Ongoing Programme
Positive
Jan 16, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has bought back 635,800 of its ordinary shares on 15 January 2026 through BNP Paribas, paying between 310.0p and 317.2p per share at a volume-weighted average price of 314.5262p, as part of its previously announced share buyback pr...
Stock Buyback
J Sainsbury Continues Buyback With £0.31 Per Share Purchase and Cancellation
Positive
Jan 15, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 646,800 of its ordinary shares on 14 January 2026 through broker BNP Paribas SA, at prices between 307.4p and 311.2p per share, with a volume-weighted average price of 309.2002p. The transaction forms part of the co...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
J Sainsbury Continues Share Buyback With £2m Share Repurchase for Cancellation
Positive
Jan 15, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 646,800 of its ordinary shares on 14 January 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, paying between 307.4p and 311.2p per share, with a volume-weighted average price of 309.2002p. The company intends to...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury CEO and Non-Executive Director Report Share Transactions Under LTIP and Market Purchase
Neutral
Jan 14, 2026
J Sainsbury has disclosed director dealings in its shares, including the release and partial sale of an award to chief executive Simon Roberts under the group’s 2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan and a separate market purchase by non-executive di...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
J Sainsbury Continues Share Buyback with Cancellation of 646,700 Shares
Positive
Jan 14, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 646,700 of its ordinary shares on 13 January 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, paying a volume-weighted average price of 309.2453 pence per share within a trading range of 307.2 to 311.4 pence. Th...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
J Sainsbury Continues Buyback with Cancellation of 646,700 Shares
Positive
Jan 14, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 646,700 of its ordinary shares on 13 January 2026 through broker BNP Paribas, paying between 307.2p and 311.4p per share at a volume-weighted average price of 309.2453p, as part of its existing share buyback program...
Stock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 648,450 Shares Under Ongoing Programme
Positive
Jan 13, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 648,450 of its ordinary shares on 12 January 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, at prices ranging between 304.2p and 311.8p per share, with a volume-weighted average price of 308.4121p. The retaile...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Continues Share Buyback With Cancellation of 481,370 Shares
Positive
Jan 12, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has continued executing its existing share buyback programme, repurchasing 481,370 ordinary shares on 9 January 2026 through BNP Paribas at prices ranging between 307.4p and 328.6p, with a volume-weighted average price of 311.605p....
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
J Sainsbury Continues Share Buyback with Purchase and Cancellation of 459,300 Shares
Positive
Jan 9, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has executed another tranche of its existing share buyback programme, repurchasing 459,300 ordinary shares on 8 January 2026 through broker BNP Paribas at a volume-weighted average price of 326.5285 pence per share. The company pla...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Sainsbury’s Gains Christmas Market Share Again as Grocery Strength Lifts Profit and Cash Outlook
Positive
Jan 9, 2026
J Sainsbury reported a robust third quarter to 3 January 2026, with total retail sales excluding fuel up 3.9% and like-for-like sales up 3.4%, driven by 5.4% growth in grocery and a sixth consecutive year of Christmas market share gains, even as g...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Continues Buyback with Cancellation of 445,340 Shares
Positive
Jan 8, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has continued its share buyback activity, repurchasing 445,340 ordinary shares on 7 January 2026 through its broker BNP Paribas at a volume-weighted average price of 336.8077 pence per share. The purchases are part of the company&#...
Stock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
J Sainsbury Corrects Disclosure on Share Buyback and Confirms Cancellation of 618,000 Shares
Positive
Jan 7, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has corrected a previous disclosure and confirmed that it repurchased 618,000 of its ordinary shares on 24 December 2025 from BNP Paribas at prices between 321.8p and 324.4p per share, with a volume-weighted average price of 323.45...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 447,300 Shares Under Ongoing Programme
Positive
Jan 7, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 447,300 of its ordinary shares on 6 January 2026 through its broker BNP Paribas SA, paying between 327.6p and 338.0p per share at a volume‑weighted average price of 335.2953p as part of its existing share buyb...
Stock Buyback
J Sainsbury Repurchases and Cancels 458,000 Shares Under Ongoing Buyback Programme
Positive
Jan 6, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 458,000 of its ordinary shares on 5 January 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, paying between 325.00p and 330.20p per share at a volume-weighted average price of 327.4444p. The company intends to c...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 457,400 Shares Under Ongoing Programme
Positive
Jan 5, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 457,400 of its ordinary shares on 2 January 2026 through BNP Paribas, paying prices between 325.4p and 329.6p per share, with a volume-weighted average price of 327.9115p. The buyback forms part of the company’...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.