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JD Sports is one of those rare companies that can act as a bellwether for an entire industry. Along with Next , JD Sports’ results can give a detailed insight into the state of the UK’s retail and fashion industry – whether that be its successes or failures. From its eye-catching forecast of £1bn in profit, which it ended up missing by less than £9m, to its revenue marching past £10bn, JD Sports has been as close to a sure thing for a good return on investment as it’s possible to have been in recent years.

However, with success comes increased expectations and the pressure to continue to perform highly and please investors. One major way to do that, of course, is to keep on paying out hefty dividends. Despite JD Sports’ profit before tax and adjusted items falling from £991.



4m to £917.2m in the year, the group still put aside more than £50m to pay out to its shareholders. Despite being listed on the London Stock Exchange, JD Sports is 51 per cent owned by Pentland Group, the giant behind brands such as Berghaus, Lacoste, Speedo and Canterbury of New Zealand.

Other major shareholders who benefitted from the group’s latest success include BlackRock, Fidelity, Norges Bank and Vanguard. According to experts at Peel Hunt, there is nothing in JD Sports’ results that would put off a marginal buyer. They added that the group’s plans in the US and Europe are “compelling” and that while its shares “continue to reflect bad rather than good news ahead” Peel .

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