The Burberry share price suffered steep losses on Friday despite an increase in revenue. So is the fashion powerhouse now an attractive portfolio addition?
Burberry Group PLC (GB: BRBY) closed at 1,966p, down more than £1.00 per share (-5.04%) as concerns over the Covid-19, Delta variant strain rattled the UK market.
Following the announcement on June 27th, CEO Marco Gobetti will leave the firm and head to the rival fashion house, Ferragamo, BRBY shares have struggled. The Burberry share price is currently softer by 13% from the June 25th, 2,267p high.
Furthermore, the worrying spread of the Delta variant virus raises concerns over the outlook for the rest of the year. Burberry derives much of its European sales from Chinese tourists. Therefore, a tightening of travel restrictions will undoubtedly harm its bricks and mortar business.
However, on Friday, the group reported impressive second-quarter sales data, showing revenue had increased 98% to £479m Year on Year (YoY).
“Full-price sales accelerated as our collections and campaigns attracted new, younger luxury customers to the brand,”
“We saw strong growth across our strategic categories, in particular, leather goods and outerwear, and exited markdowns in digital and mainline stores.”
CEO Marco Gobetti
Despite the upbeat assessment of the last three trading months, investors instead focused on the firms warning that currency headwinds may prove a negative force in the medium term.
AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson also pointed to Gobetti’s departure as a concern:
“Investors will be crossing everything that Gobbetti isn’t followed out the door by top designer Riccardo Tisci who has helped drive a rejuvenation on the creative side of the business,”
The daily chart highlights the scale of Friday’s sell-off. The price subsequently lost the support of the key 100-day moving average at 2,066p. Furthermore, the psychological 2,000p threshold offered little in the way of an obstacle for the cascading price as it posted its second-worst day of trading in 2021.
An obvious target for bears is the 1,887p horizontal support from the 13th of May low. Coincidently this aligns with the 200-day moving average at 1,885p and should therefore be viewed as a significant price level. A failure to hold this barrier may result in an extension lower, targeting the 2021 low of 1,674p.
However, should the market react favourably to Friday’s data, the 100 DMA at 2,066 becomes an achievable target. Furthermore, clearance of 2,092p sets the Burberry share price on a path to this year’s 2,267p high.
Given the bearish momentum, the former appears more probable. However, the robust support below 1,900p should stem any losses first-time around and may entice long-term buyers.
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