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

UpdatedJul 28, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies21
  • 7D1.9%
  • 3M8.6%
  • 1Y16.3%
  • YTDn/a

The Trade Companies and Distributors industry is up 1.9% in the last week, with Bunzl up 3.3%. This means that the industry has gained 16% over the past year. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 14% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

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

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Wed, 29 Jul 2026UK£31.2bUK£31.9bUK£901.4m16.1x34.7x1x
Fri, 26 Jun 2026UK£30.3bUK£31.9bUK£911.4m15.4x33.3x1x
Sun, 24 May 2026UK£28.9bUK£31.9bUK£939.9m15.5x30.7x0.9x
Tue, 21 Apr 2026UK£29.1bUK£31.7bUK£932.4m16.1x31.2x0.9x
Thu, 19 Mar 2026UK£27.4bUK£31.7bUK£908.7m15.8x30.1x0.9x
Sat, 14 Feb 2026UK£49.1bUK£39.5bUK£2.1b14.9x23.3x1.2x
Mon, 12 Jan 2026UK£50.3bUK£39.7bUK£2.2b13.9x23.1x1.3x
Wed, 10 Dec 2025UK£46.5bUK£39.7bUK£2.2b14.4x20.9x1.2x
Fri, 07 Nov 2025UK£46.7bUK£39.8bUK£2.2b14.9x21x1.2x
Sun, 05 Oct 2025UK£49.2bUK£39.6bUK£2.3b15.6x21.4x1.2x
Tue, 02 Sep 2025UK£51.1bUK£39.4bUK£2.3b15x21.9x1.3x
Thu, 31 Jul 2025UK£49.0bUK£39.5bUK£2.4b14.5x20.5x1.2x
Sat, 28 Jun 2025UK£47.7bUK£39.2bUK£2.3b14x20.3x1.2x
Mon, 26 May 2025UK£44.9bUK£39.4bUK£2.4b13.1x19.1x1.1x
Wed, 23 Apr 2025UK£40.7bUK£39.5bUK£2.3b13x17.3x1x
Fri, 21 Mar 2025UK£46.4bUK£39.8bUK£2.4b14.2x19.2x1.2x
Sun, 16 Feb 2025UK£52.9bUK£40.0bUK£2.4b13.9x21.6x1.3x
Tue, 14 Jan 2025UK£50.2bUK£40.4bUK£2.5b12.7x19.7x1.2x
Thu, 12 Dec 2024UK£55.0bUK£40.0bUK£2.5b13.3x22.1x1.4x
Sat, 09 Nov 2024UK£58.9bUK£39.2bUK£2.5b13.5x23.9x1.5x
Mon, 07 Oct 2024UK£56.9bUK£39.0bUK£2.5b14.4x23.1x1.5x
Wed, 04 Sep 2024UK£57.0bUK£39.0bUK£2.4b18.2x23.3x1.5x
Fri, 02 Aug 2024UK£57.3bUK£40.3bUK£3.2b14.3x17.8x1.4x
Sun, 30 Jun 2024UK£54.2bUK£40.1bUK£3.1b14x17.7x1.4x
Tue, 28 May 2024UK£57.1bUK£39.8bUK£3.0b15.4x18.9x1.4x
Thu, 25 Apr 2024UK£55.7bUK£40.1bUK£3.2b12.9x17.4x1.4x
Sat, 23 Mar 2024UK£55.0bUK£40.0bUK£3.2b13.5x17.3x1.4x
Mon, 19 Feb 2024UK£54.8bUK£40.5bUK£3.5b11.2x15.8x1.4x
Wed, 17 Jan 2024UK£51.9bUK£40.5bUK£3.5b10.8x15x1.3x
Fri, 15 Dec 2023UK£55.1bUK£40.3bUK£3.4b11x16.3x1.4x
Sun, 12 Nov 2023UK£47.5bUK£39.9bUK£3.1b10.6x15.6x1.2x
Tue, 10 Oct 2023UK£47.7bUK£39.9bUK£3.1b11x15.4x1.2x
Thu, 07 Sep 2023UK£49.9bUK£39.8bUK£3.1b11.7x16.1x1.3x
Sat, 05 Aug 2023UK£52.6bUK£38.9bUK£3.1b11.8x17.2x1.4x
Price to Earnings Ratio

17.2x


Total Market Cap: UK£52.6bTotal Earnings: UK£3.1bTotal Revenue: UK£38.9bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Trade Companies and Distributors Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 20.9x202420252026
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 34.7x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 20.9x.
  • The 3-year average PS ratio of 1.2x is higher than the industry's current PS ratio of 0.98x.
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 6.4% 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 Market2.33%
Industrials3.62%
Trade Distributors1.87%
Trade Companies and Distributors1.87%
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
BNZL BunzlUK£28.163.3%
+UK£289.0m		21.9%PE19.7x
RS1 RS GroupUK£6.974.3%
+UK£131.2m		22.2%PE19.8x
HWDN Howden Joinery GroupUK£7.882.1%
+UK£87.7m		-11.9%PE16.2x
GFTU Grafton GroupUK£9.732.9%
+UK£51.9m		9.3%PE13.5x
TPK Travis PerkinsUK£5.682.2%
+UK£25.4m		3.6%PS0.3x

Latest News

FLO
UK£0.64
Flowtech Fluidpower
7D
4.9%
1Y
8.7%
BRCK
UK£0.50
BRCK Group
7D
-4.6%
1Y
-18.4%
Analysis Article • Jul 27

BRCK Group's (LON:BRCK) Soft Earnings Are Actually Better Than They Appear

The market for BRCK Group plc's ( LON:BRCK ) shares didn't move much after it posted weak earnings recently. We think...
HWDN
UK£7.88
Howden Joinery Group
7D
2.1%
1Y
-11.9%
Analysis Article • Jul 26

Howden Joinery Group Plc (LON:HWDN) Just Released Its Half-Yearly Results And Analysts Are Updating Their Estimates

Shareholders might have noticed that Howden Joinery Group Plc ( LON:HWDN ) filed its half-year result this time last...
DPLM
UK£74.20
Diploma
7D
-0.7%
1Y
40.3%
Narrative Update • Jul 22

DPLM: Peerless And Controls Execution Will Underpin Measured Repricing Expectations

Diploma's updated analyst price target now reflects a modest uplift, with fair value rising from about £77.04 to £79.77 per share as analysts factor in recent price target increases from several banks and slightly adjust assumptions for discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Diploma points to a largely supportive backdrop from the sell side, with several firms lifting their price targets in quick succession.
GFTU
UK£9.73
Grafton Group
7D
2.9%
1Y
9.3%
BNZL
UK£28.16
Bunzl
7D
3.3%
1Y
21.9%
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.
SDY
UK£0.19
Speedy Hire
7D
2.8%
1Y
-37.2%
AT.
UK£4.12
Ashtead Technology Holdings
7D
-6.4%
1Y
25.6%
RS1
UK£6.97
RS Group
7D
4.3%
1Y
22.2%
TPK
UK£5.68
Travis Perkins
7D
2.2%
1Y
3.6%
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.
LORD
UK£0.17
Lords Group Trading
7D
-5.7%
1Y
-62.5%
Narrative Update • Jun 26

LORD: Dividend Reset Will Support Improved Prospects For Future Returns

Analysts have reduced their fair value estimate for Lords Group Trading to £0.19 from £0.35, reflecting updated assumptions for revenue growth, profit margins, a slightly higher discount rate, and a modestly lower future P/E multiple. What’s in the News for Lords Group Trading Lords Group Trading held its AGM on 18 June 2026, where shareholders approved a final dividend of 0.20 pence per ordinary share for the financial year ended 31 December 2025.
MACF
UK£0.70
Macfarlane Group
7D
2.0%
1Y
-29.9%
Narrative Update • Jun 24

MACF: Steady Assumptions Will Support Future Upside Potential

Analysts have kept their fair value estimate for Macfarlane Group unchanged at £0.91. The slight tweaks in discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E assumptions reflect only minor model refinements rather than a shift in the overall price target view.
DPA
US$0.14
DP Aircraft I
7D
-9.7%
1Y
4.5%