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Watches of Switzerland Shares Fade From 6% Intraday Jump After H1 Update

Watches of Switzerland reported first-half revenue up 15% and tightened its full-year guidance upwards, but the shares gave back nearly all of an intraday 6% gain after a 58% rise this year.

Watches of Switzerland Group (LON: WOSG), the UK’s largest luxury watch retailer, said first-half revenue rose 15% to £974m and raised the lower end of its full-year guidance. The shares opened 3.5% higher at 771p today.

The stock touched 790p, up 6.0% on yesterday’s close of 745p, but a delayed quote at 9.34 am showed 749p, just 0.5% higher. That is up 58.0% this year from 474p, and 6.5% below the 52-week high of 801.5p, reached on the 16th of July.

WOSG.LSE

The unaudited update covers the 26 weeks to the 1st of November. Revenue of £974m compares with £845m a year earlier. The group expects adjusted EBIT, its operating profit measure, of £87m to £89m, about 28% higher, with margin up 0.8 to 1.0 percentage points.

Net debt fell to £24m from £112m a year earlier. Chief executive Brian Duffy pointed to a strong half despite an unsettled economy.

We have delivered a strong first half performance, with Group revenue up 15%, despite an unsettled macroeconomic backdrop.

Brian Duffy, CEO, Watches of Switzerland Group

US revenue rose 22% at constant currency (stripping out exchange-rate swings) to £501m from £409m, with US retail including Deutsch & Deutsch. UK revenue climbed 9% to £473m from £436m, with luxury jewellery and Certified Pre-Owned watches outperforming. Luxury jewellery sales overall rose 19% at constant currency to £123m.

Line chart of Watches of Switzerland Group share price over three months, with the trading update day on 10 November 2026 banded and the latest price called out against the recent trend.
Daily closes from the 10th of August; today’s point is a delayed 9.34 am quote, not a close, and sits well below the intraday high.

Full-year constant-currency revenue growth guidance is now 7% to 10%, from 5% to 10%. Adjusted EBIT margin expansion is guided at 0.6 to 0.8 percentage points, from 0.4 to 0.8. The company said the half finished slightly ahead of its own expectations.

The second half will be slower. It has one fewer trading week and annualises Deutsch & Deutsch in January, so the group expects lower revenue growth and more moderate margin expansion than in the first half. Full results are due on 10 December.

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