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U.K. (FTSE) Trade Companies and Distributors Industry Analysis

UpdatedJul 20, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies21
  • 7D4.4%
  • 3M6.3%
  • 1Y16.9%
  • YTDn/a

The Trade Companies and Distributors industry is up 4.4% in the last week, with Diploma up 6.4%. In the same time, Vp was down 5.4%. This means that the industry has gained 17% over the past year. Earnings are forecast to grow by 13% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Trade Companies and Distributors Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Mon, 20 Jul 2026UK£30.9bUK£31.9bUK£903.1m16.4x34.2x1x
Wed, 17 Jun 2026UK£29.5bUK£31.9bUK£926.5m15.9x31.8x0.9x
Fri, 15 May 2026UK£28.0bUK£31.8bUK£933.4m14.8x30x0.9x
Sun, 12 Apr 2026UK£28.5bUK£31.7bUK£932.4m16.4x30.5x0.9x
Tue, 10 Mar 2026UK£26.3bUK£31.7bUK£1.1b15.6x25x0.8x
Thu, 05 Feb 2026UK£47.9bUK£39.5bUK£2.1b14.9x22.7x1.2x
Sat, 03 Jan 2026UK£47.4bUK£39.6bUK£2.2b13.8x21.8x1.2x
Mon, 01 Dec 2025UK£46.9bUK£39.8bUK£2.2b14.4x21x1.2x
Wed, 29 Oct 2025UK£49.4bUK£39.7bUK£2.2b15.5x22.3x1.2x
Fri, 26 Sep 2025UK£48.0bUK£39.7bUK£2.3b14.5x20.5x1.2x
Sun, 24 Aug 2025UK£51.4bUK£39.3bUK£2.4b15x21.8x1.3x
Tue, 22 Jul 2025UK£47.6bUK£39.4bUK£2.4b13.7x20.1x1.2x
Thu, 19 Jun 2025UK£45.7bUK£39.4bUK£2.4b13.6x19.2x1.2x
Sat, 17 May 2025UK£45.6bUK£39.5bUK£2.4b13.1x19.4x1.2x
Mon, 14 Apr 2025UK£42.3bUK£39.6bUK£2.4b12.9x17.8x1.1x
Wed, 12 Mar 2025UK£45.7bUK£39.8bUK£2.4b13.9x18.9x1.1x
Fri, 07 Feb 2025UK£52.5bUK£40.1bUK£2.5b13.8x21.3x1.3x
Sun, 05 Jan 2025UK£51.4bUK£40.2bUK£2.5b13.4x20.4x1.3x
Tue, 03 Dec 2024UK£59.3bUK£40.1bUK£2.5b13.2x23.6x1.5x
Thu, 31 Oct 2024UK£57.0bUK£39.1bUK£2.5b14.3x23x1.5x
Sat, 28 Sep 2024UK£59.1bUK£38.9bUK£2.4b16.1x24.3x1.5x
Mon, 26 Aug 2024UK£55.4bUK£39.2bUK£2.5b16.7x21.9x1.4x
Wed, 24 Jul 2024UK£56.7bUK£40.1bUK£3.2b14x17.7x1.4x
Fri, 21 Jun 2024UK£55.4bUK£40.1bUK£3.1b14x18.1x1.4x
Sun, 19 May 2024UK£58.0bUK£40.0bUK£3.1b14.7x18.4x1.4x
Tue, 16 Apr 2024UK£55.4bUK£40.1bUK£3.2b13.2x17.3x1.4x
Thu, 14 Mar 2024UK£52.5bUK£39.9bUK£3.2b13.5x16.6x1.3x
Sat, 10 Feb 2024UK£53.8bUK£40.5bUK£3.5b11.2x15.5x1.3x
Mon, 08 Jan 2024UK£52.7bUK£40.4bUK£3.5b10.9x15.2x1.3x
Wed, 06 Dec 2023UK£48.6bUK£39.7bUK£3.0b10.9x16.2x1.2x
Fri, 03 Nov 2023UK£47.1bUK£40.0bUK£3.1b10.1x15.2x1.2x
Sun, 01 Oct 2023UK£49.2bUK£40.0bUK£3.1b11.7x15.8x1.2x
Tue, 29 Aug 2023UK£49.8bUK£39.0bUK£3.1b11.1x16.2x1.3x
Thu, 27 Jul 2023UK£51.8bUK£38.8bUK£3.1b10.9x16.8x1.3x
Price to Earnings Ratio

16.8x


Total Market Cap: UK£51.8bTotal Earnings: UK£3.1bTotal Revenue: UK£38.8bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Trade Companies and Distributors Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 20.8x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are optimistic on the British Trading Companies and Distributors industry, and appear confident in long term growth rates.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 34.2x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 20.8x.
  • The 3-year average PS ratio of 1.2x is higher than the industry's current PS ratio of 0.97x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Trading Companies and Distributors industry have declined 34% per year over the last three years,
  • Revenues have also declined 6.3% per year.
  • This means overall sales from these companies are declining and profits are subsequently falling as well.

Industry Comparison

How does U.K. Trade Companies and Distributors compare with similar industries?

GB Market0.97%
Industrials0.39%
Trade Distributors4.40%
Trade Companies and Distributors4.40%
Industry PEThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.
Forecasted GrowthThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
DPLM DiplomaUK£72.406.4%
+UK£583.3m		40.0%PE51.3x
BNZL BunzlUK£27.963.9%
+UK£340.4m		22.7%PE19.6x
RS1 RS GroupUK£6.716.3%
+UK£181.9m		16.1%PE19.1x
GFTU Grafton GroupUK£9.455.6%
+UK£94.8m		3.3%PE13.1x
TPK Travis PerkinsUK£5.653.9%
+UK£44.5m		-1.3%PS0.3x

Latest News

BNZL
UK£27.96
Bunzl
7D
3.9%
1Y
22.7%
Narrative Update • Jul 18

BNZL: Raised Expectations And Activist Pressure Will Shape Future Execution Risk

The updated analyst price target for Bunzl reflects a modest uplift in fair value to £26.55 from £25.82, supported by Street research that has raised price targets into a £2,600 to £3,000 range and highlights adjusted assumptions for discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Bunzl points to a clustered range of price targets between £26.00 and £30.00, with several firms lifting their estimates into this band.
AT.
UK£4.26
Ashtead Technology Holdings
7D
4.0%
1Y
29.5%
SDY
UK£0.19
Speedy Hire
7D
-2.6%
1Y
-35.7%
VP.
UK£4.57
Vp
7D
-5.4%
1Y
-21.2%
RS1
UK£6.71
RS Group
7D
6.3%
1Y
16.1%
LTHM
UK£10.90
James Latham
7D
1.9%
1Y
-3.1%
DPLM
UK£72.40
Diploma
7D
6.4%
1Y
40.0%
TPK
UK£5.65
Travis Perkins
7D
3.9%
1Y
-1.3%
Narrative Update • Jun 30

TPK: Rebased P/E Assumptions And Dividend Strength Will Support Future Upside

Analysts have trimmed their price targets for Travis Perkins, with recent research indicating cuts of £50 to £55 per share. This reflects updated views on revenue growth, margins and appropriate P/E levels for the stock.
GFTU
UK£9.45
Grafton Group
7D
5.6%
1Y
3.3%
Narrative Update • Jun 23

GFTU: Dividend Outlook Will Underpin Upside Despite Geopolitical Trading Headwinds

Analysts have adjusted their outlook on Grafton Group with a revised price target of £11.00 compared with the prior £11.50, citing a more challenging trading backdrop in March and April linked to rising geopolitical uncertainty, as well as modest tweaks to discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E assumptions. What’s in the News for Grafton Group Grafton Group approved a final dividend of 27.0 pence per ordinary share for the year ended 31 December 2025 at its Annual General Meeting held on 15 May 2026.
HWDN
UK£8.01
Howden Joinery Group
7D
1.0%
1Y
-3.6%
Narrative Update • Jun 18

HWDN: Final 2025 Dividend Will Support Bullish Share Price Repricing

Analysts have trimmed their fair value estimate for Howden Joinery Group slightly to £10.02 from £10.05, reflecting updated assumptions around revenue growth, profit margins and the discount rate, while keeping future P/E expectations broadly in line with previous views. What's in the News for Howden Joinery Group Howden Joinery Group shareholders approved a final dividend for 2025 of 16.9 pence per share at the AGM held on 7 May 2026.
PRO
UK£0.02
ProService Building Services Marketplace
7D
-19.6%
1Y
-78.2%
AVAP
UK£1.35
Avation
7D
-2.2%
1Y
-16.9%