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J Sainsbury plc
(LSE:SBRY)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:56Neutral
Price Target:
346.00 p
▲(0.29% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/23/26
The score is held back mainly by weak technicals (broad downtrend and negative momentum) and only mid-range financial strength (thin margins and meaningful leverage despite solid cash generation). Valuation is a key offset, supported by a low P/E and strong dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Multichannel Retail Model
The combination of grocery, general merchandise, physical stores, digital ordering and loyalty creates multiple customer touchpoints. This supports convenience, cross-selling and repeat purchases, providing a durable platform for defending market share.
Negative Factors
Meaningful Leverage
Debt roughly matching equity limits financial flexibility for a low-margin retailer. Reduced equity and meaningful leverage may constrain investment capacity and increase vulnerability if consumer demand weakens, operating costs rise or cash generation deteriorates.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Multichannel Retail Model
The combination of grocery, general merchandise, physical stores, digital ordering and loyalty creates multiple customer touchpoints. This supports convenience, cross-selling and repeat purchases, providing a durable platform for defending market share.
Read all positive factors
J Sainsbury plc (SBRY) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£7.31B
Dividend Yield5.4%
Average Volume (3M)6.05M
Price to Earnings (P/E)19.5
Beta (1Y)0.85
Revenue Growth2.54%
EPS Growth12.99%
CountryUK
Employees139,087
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryGrocery Stores
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.17
Shares Outstanding2,214,051,500
10 Day Avg. Volume7,012,525
30 Day Avg. Volume6,047,660
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio1.48
Price to Book (P/B)1.29
Price to Sales (P/S)0.24
P/FCF Ratio6.70
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£361.78Price Target Upside4.86% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering9
EPS Forecast (FY)0.24
Revenue Forecast (FY)£34.53B
J Sainsbury plc Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
J Sainsbury plc, along with its group companies, is a prominent retailer and financial services provider operating across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The company's diverse activities span food, general merchandise, and clothing...
How the Company Makes Money
Sainsbury generates revenue mainly from retail sales to consumers across physical stores and online platforms. Its largest revenue stream is the sale of grocery and household consumables under the Sainsbury’s brand, sold through supermarkets and c...
J Sainsbury plc Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Nov 06, 2025
(Q2-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Nov 05, 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
60
Neutral
Balance Sheet
54
Neutral
Cash Flow
63
Positive
| Breakdown | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 33.65B | 32.81B | 32.70B | 31.49B | 29.89B |
| Gross Profit | 2.07B | 2.30B | 2.34B | 2.32B | 2.21B |
| EBITDA | 2.13B | 1.57B | 1.79B | 1.84B | 2.40B |
| Net Income | 384.00M | 242.00M | 137.00M | 207.00M | 677.00M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 18.94B | 24.65B | 25.06B | 26.39B | 27.15B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 1.07B | 727.00M | 2.00B | 1.81B | 1.02B |
| Total Debt | 6.60B | 6.61B | 6.55B | 7.14B | 7.38B |
| Total Liabilities | 12.79B | 18.00B | 18.19B | 19.13B | 18.73B |
| Stockholders Equity | 6.15B | 6.65B | 6.87B | 7.25B | 8.42B |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 1.18B | 2.08B | 400.00M | 1.66B | 202.00M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 1.80B | 2.69B | 1.97B | 2.39B | 896.00M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -1.53B | -787.00M | -1.01B | -725.00M | -651.00M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -1.42B | -1.12B | -282.00M | -960.00M | -1.02B |
J Sainsbury plc Technical Analysis
Neutral
345.00
Price Trends
335.99
Negative
325.56
Positive
322.48
Positive
Market Momentum
-1.00
Positive
42.57
Neutral
9.77
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:SBRY, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 345 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 348.15, above the 50-day MA of 335.99, and above the 200-day MA of 322.48, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -1.00 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 42.57 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 9.77 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 Outperform | £2.85B | 18.20 | 14.99% | 2.05% | 9.52% | 18.08% | |
82 Outperform | £27.93B | 16.61 | 16.05% | 3.02% | 5.43% | 15.57% | |
73 Outperform | £1.84B | 14.04 | 20.97% | 4.36% | 6.89% | -9.02% | |
71 Outperform | £2.41B | 14.36 | 21.74% | 4.50% | 3.66% | -48.66% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
58 Neutral | £1.99B | -7.81 | -15.94% | ― | ― | ― | |
56 Neutral | £7.31B | 19.48 | 6.12% | 7.16% | 2.54% | 12.99% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
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J Sainsbury plc Corporate Events
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Executives Report Share Dealings Under Long-Term Incentive Plan
Neutral
Aug 20, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has disclosed share dealings by senior management under its Long Term Incentive Plan. Chief Executive Officer Simon Roberts exercised 735,024 nil‑cost options from a 2021 Win in Food award, selling 346,154 shares at an averag...
Delistings and Listing ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights After Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Aug 3, 2026
J Sainsbury plc reported that between 30 June and 31 July 2026 it issued 595,957 new ordinary shares under its Sharesave Plan, a savings-related share option scheme for employees. These shares have been admitted to trading on the London Stock Exch...
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Discloses Executive Share Purchase Under Incentive Plan
Positive
Jul 31, 2026
J Sainsbury plc reported that Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer Mark Given acquired 39 ordinary shares through the company’s Share Incentive Plan on 30 July 2026, at a price of £3.578 per share. The transaction, conducted on ...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Sainsbury’s Sells Argos to Swift Partners to Sharpen Food Focus
Positive
Jul 31, 2026
Sainsbury’s has agreed to sell its Argos general merchandise chain to newly created Swift Partners, in a deal aimed at sharpening the group’s focus on its core food business. The disposal continues a broader retrenchment from non-core ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury Completes First £200m Tranche of Share Buyback Programme
Positive
Jul 27, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has completed the first £200 million tranche of its share buyback programme, purchasing 62,949,419 ordinary shares since the initiative began on 24 April 2026. The latest transaction involved acquiring 262,394 shares on 24 Jul...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
J Sainsbury Steps Up Share Buybacks and Plans Cancellation of Repurchased Stock
Positive
Jul 24, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased a total of several million ordinary shares over the period 17–23 July 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, with transactions executed through Shore Capital Stockbrokers. The company plans to ca...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Advances Share Buyback With July Share Repurchases
Positive
Jul 17, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has continued to execute its existing share buyback programme, repurchasing a total of 3,775,000 ordinary shares between 10 and 16 July 2026 through Shore Capital Stockbrokers at volume‑weighted average prices ranging from ab...
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Grants Performance-Based Share Awards to Senior Executive
Positive
Jul 10, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has granted nil-cost share option awards to Chief Retail, Logistics and Supply Chain Officer Tracey Clements under its 2024 Long Term Incentive Plan, covering a maximum of 380,252 ordinary shares through Leaders Share Awards for 20...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury Steps Up Buyback With £4.4m Share Repurchase for Cancellation
Positive
Jul 10, 2026
J Sainsbury has repurchased 4.41 million ordinary shares between 3 and 9 July 2026 through Shore Capital Stockbrokers, paying volume-weighted average prices around 334–337 pence per share. These transactions form part of its existing share b...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Sainsbury Non-Executive Joins Diploma as Interim Remuneration Chair
Positive
Jul 3, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has announced that non-executive director Katie Bickerstaffe will assume the role of interim Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Diploma plc from 6 July 2026. The move underscores the cross-boardroom influence of Sainsbury’...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Discloses Executive Share Purchase Under Incentive Plan
Positive
Jul 3, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has disclosed that Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer Mark Given acquired 41 ordinary shares in the company through its Share Incentive Plan on 2 July 2026. The shares were bought at £3.362 each on the London Stock E...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury Steps Up Buyback, Cancels Over 4 Million Shares
Positive
Jul 3, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased a total of more than 4 million of its ordinary shares over several days between 26 June and 2 July 2026, at volume-weighted average prices ranging from about 315p to 334p per share. The transactions, executed throug...
Stock BuybackDividendsFinancial DisclosuresShareholder Meetings
Sainsbury’s shareholders back all AGM resolutions, approve dividend and board mandates
Positive
Jul 2, 2026
J Sainsbury plc reported that all resolutions at its 2026 annual general meeting were approved by shareholders, including adoption of the audited accounts for the 52 weeks to 28 February 2026 and a final dividend of 9.6 pence per share. Investors ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury’s Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights After Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Jun 30, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has increased its issued ordinary share capital by 503,594 shares during June 2026 under its Sharesave Plan, a savings-related share option scheme for employees. These new shares have been admitted to trading on the London Stock Ex...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Sainsbury lifts grocery sales and market share, holds profit guidance
Positive
Jun 30, 2026
Sainsbury reported a solid start to its 2026/27 financial year, with first‑quarter total retail sales excluding fuel up 2.7% to £9.15bn and like‑for‑like sales up 2.1%, driven by 3.6% growth in grocery despite declines in ge...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury Steps Up Capital Returns with Cancellation of 5.6 Million Shares
Positive
Jun 26, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 5.6 million of its own ordinary shares on the London market between 19 and 25 June 2026, at volume-weighted average prices ranging from about 302p to 315p per share, as part of its existing share buyback programme. ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury’s Buys Back and Cancels 5.6 Million Shares
Positive
Jun 19, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased a total of 5.6 million ordinary shares between 12 and 18 June 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, executed through Shore Capital Stockbrokers. The company intends to cancel the repurchased shares, e...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury Steps Up Capital Returns With June Share Buyback and Cancellation
Positive
Jun 12, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 5.68 million of its ordinary shares between 5 and 11 June 2026 as part of its ongoing share buyback programme conducted through Shore Capital Stockbrokers. The purchases were made at volume-weighted average prices r...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Sainsbury Grants Sharesave Options to Senior Executives
Positive
Jun 10, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has granted savings-related share options to two senior executives under its Sharesave scheme, at an option price of £2.45 per ordinary share. Managing Director of Argos and Chief Strategy Officer Graham Biggart received 2,020...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Executive Buys Shares Under Incentive Plan, Highlighting Governance Compliance
Positive
Jun 5, 2026
J Sainsbury plc disclosed that Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer Mark Given acquired 46 ordinary shares through the company’s Share Incentive Plan at £2.98 per share on 4 June 2026. The purchase, conducted on the London Stock...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Cancels 6.08 Million Shares in Latest Buyback Tranche
Positive
Jun 5, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased a total of 6.08 million ordinary shares between 29 May and 4 June 2026 under its ongoing share buyback programme, paying volume-weighted average prices of around 297 to 302 pence per share. The buybacks, executed vi...
Financial DisclosuresRegulatory Filings and ComplianceShareholder Meetings
Sainsbury’s Publishes 2026 Annual Report and Sets Date for AGM
Neutral
Jun 2, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has published its Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 28 February 2026, alongside the formal notice and proxy form for its 2026 Annual General Meeting scheduled for 2 July. The documents have been made availab...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Sainsbury awards senior executives new long-term share incentives
Positive
Jun 1, 2026
J Sainsbury has granted senior executives substantial share-based awards under its 2024 Long Term Incentive Plan, including nil-cost option Leaders’ Share Awards that are subject to three-year performance conditions and, for the CEO and CFO,...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights After Sharesave Issuance
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has increased its issued ordinary share capital during May 2026 by issuing 717,344 new ordinary shares under its Sharesave Plan, a savings-related share option scheme for employees. These new shares have been admitted to trading on...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Sainsbury Buys Back 4.46 Million Shares for Cancellation
Positive
May 29, 2026
J Sainsbury has repurchased 4.46 million of its own ordinary shares between 22 and 28 May 2026 under its existing share buyback programme, paying volume‑weighted average prices ranging from about 304p to 315p per share. The company plans to ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Sainsbury’s Cancels 5.56 Million Shares in Latest Buyback Tranche
Positive
May 22, 2026
J Sainsbury plc has repurchased 5.56 million of its ordinary shares over the period 15–21 May 2026 through Shore Capital Stockbrokers, paying volume-weighted average prices between about 303p and 313p per share. The transactions form part of...
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.