LONDON, May 19, 2026, 14:04 BST
Howden Joinery Group shares traded up Tuesday. The stock jumped with the wider London market after weaker UK jobs numbers cooled bets on a near-term Bank of England rate hike.
The kitchen and joinery supplier traded at 736.25 pence, up 0.44% on a Cboe Europe real-time quote. Latest data showed the FTSE 100 up 0.64%. Howden is still down 11.35% this year, so today’s gain has yet to make up for the stock’s earlier losses. MarketScreener
Rate timing could be key. Lower rates can support businesses focused on repairs, maintenance and improvement, or RMI—an area hit when mortgages, wages, or sentiment get squeezed. UK shares moved higher after payrolls dropped by 100,000 in April and unemployment reached 5%, Reuters said. Retailers added 2.49%. Reuters
A tough UK labour market report could put the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee on hold, Deutsche Bank chief UK economist Sanjay Raja told Reuters. “Today’s labour market report will not just make for an uncomfortable reading, it will likely stop the MPC in its tracks,” Raja said. ING economist James Smith isn’t expecting a clear move in June either, calling a rate hike “far from guaranteed.” Reuters
Howden put out its latest trading update on April 28, giving investors data to go on. The company reported underlying group sales up 3.7% for the first 16 weeks of 2026. Same-depot sales, which exclude new and closed depots, were up 2.8%. UK underlying sales climbed 3.5%. International sales ran up 9.1%. Howden Joinery Group Plc
Howden Joinery Group Plc said it raised prices in all regions and kept stock levels high even with Middle East instability. The company is planning to open about 25 depots in the UK this year and five in the Republic of Ireland. It also aims to refurbish around 45 older UK locations. Howden Joinery Group Plc
Howden CEO Andrew Livingston was cautious back in February, saying the company expects the UK kitchen market to be flat year on year in 2026 after years of falling sales. For 2025, group revenue rose 4.1% to 2.42 billion pounds. Pretax profit was up 5.1% at 344.9 million pounds. Howden Joinery Group Plc
Howden announced a £100 million share buyback for 2026 after profit beat analyst estimates, Reuters said in February. The shares gained over 10% after the results. Price rises and cost controls helped support margins. Reuters
Mixed signals in UK building supplies. Travis Perkins said first-quarter like-for-like revenue dropped 1.7% in April, while Howden saw growth that same day. Both firms have pushed through price hikes to keep margins steady. That’s likely to cut into volumes, with Investec analyst Aynsley Lammin telling Reuters consumers feeling the squeeze are now “put off projects.” Reuters
Kingfisher, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, is seen as another take on the home-improvement cycle. Unlike Howden’s trade-only kitchen business, Kingfisher’s reach is wider and driven by retail. Reuters company data says Kingfisher runs brands such as B&Q, Screwfix, and Castorama in Europe. Reuters
Tuesday’s relief rally could run out of steam. Less rate worry isn’t moving orders for builders, and higher prices help only so much if households put off major jobs. Howden flagged that its sales are skewed to the second half, when the autumn trading peak hits. Howden Joinery Group Plc
UK stocks caught a bounce in May, and investors are watching if it lasts. Attention is also on Howden, with questions about whether it can keep volumes steady after its price hikes. The company’s next big event is half-year results set for July 23. Howden’s final 2025 dividend is scheduled to be paid May 22. Howden Joinery Group Plc
