Pre-close trading update

Wetherspoon (JD) PLC

22 July 2026

 

22 July 2026

J D WETHERSPOON PLC

Pre-close trading update

J D Wetherspoon plc (the "company") today publishes a pre-close trading update. The preliminary results are due to be released on 2 October 2026.

Current Trading

Like-for-like sales increased by 4.0% in the 12 weeks to 19 July 2025, compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date like-for-like sales increased by 4.2%.

Property

In the year to date, the company has opened eight pubs and sold nine.

The company currently operates 793 managed pubs.

In addition, 15 franchised pubs have opened in the year-to-date, bringing the total to 23.

Financial Position

In the year to date, the company has purchased 6,402,368 of its own shares for cancellation at an average price of £6.52 a share.

In addition, the company has purchased the freehold reversions of four pubs for a total of £12.2 million, bringing the expenditure on freehold reversions since 2011 to £489 million.

We currently anticipate year-end net debt to be £720 million, in line with the end of the last financial year.

Outlook

The chairman of Wetherspoon, Tim Martin, said:

"Profits for the year are likely to be below market expectations, with marginally lower sales than anticipated in the final quarter, combined with higher costs in the areas of food, labour, repairs, energy and business rates."

Enquiries:

John Hutson                 Chief Executive Officer                          01923 477777

Ben Whitley                   Finance Director                                    01923 477777

Eddie Gershon              Company spokesman                            07956 392234

Notes to editors

1. J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs throughout the UK and Ireland. The Company aims to provide customers with good-quality food and drink, served by well-trained and friendly staff, at reasonable prices. The pubs are individually designed, and the Company aims to maintain them in excellent condition.

2. Visit our website: www.jdwetherspoon.com

3. This announcement has been prepared solely to provide additional information to the shareholders of J D Wetherspoon, to meet the requirements of the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. It should not be relied on by any other party, for any other purposes. Forward-looking statements have been made by the directors in good faith, using information available up until the date on which they approved this statement. Forward-looking statements should be regarded with caution, because of the inherent uncertainties in economic trends and business risks.

4. The current financial year comprises 52 trading weeks to 26 July 2026.

 

END