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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

H&M surges as Q1 results top expectations

(Sharecast News) - Swedish fashion retailer H&M surged on Wednesday after posting better-than-expected results for the first quarter. Operating profit rose to 2.08bn Swedish krona from 725m a year earlier, coming in 1.4% above consensus expectations.

Meanwhile, first-quarter sales declined by 2% to 53.7bn Swedish krona, but this was better than expected.

Chief executive Daniel Erver said: "The quarter's sales gradually improved during February with well-received Spring collections, which is a positive sign that we are on the right track."

At 1100 GMT, the shares were up 11.7% at SEK172.40.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "H&M has been navigating a world of cautious shoppers with style, and although sales fell by 2% in the last quarter, it was a better performance than expected and helped deliver operating profits above forecasts.

"H&M and its teams of designers in Stockholm have their finger on the pulse of what high street shoppers want to wear. As cost-of-living pressures have started to ease in key markets, sales are on the up again, lifting 2% since the start of March."

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Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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