Halfords shares hit speedbump despite accelerating sales

Halfords, the motoring retailer, saw its share price decline as much as eight percent to 256p following reports of a softer second half overshadowing an increase in sales. The company revealed a seven percent sales growth in the six months to October, stating it is making progress towards its higher profit goal. In an unscheduled update in August, Halfords raised its underlying profit target to between £55m and £65m, a significant increase from last year's £45m.

A recent update in August highlighted that record temperatures during the summer were driving "very strong" sales in its seasonal ranges. Under the leadership of new CEO Henry Birch, Halfords reported positive performance in the first half. Analysts Jonathan Pritchard and John Stevenson from Peel Hunt commended the group's "bullish" update, highlighting the retailer's "position of strength."

Despite the initial rally, shares have since experienced a slump. The sell-off was attributed to the company's expectation of a profit that would be weighted towards the first half of the year. Halfords explained that strong performance in the first half, coupled with investments in marketing and technology for the second half, would result in profit before tax being weighted towards the first half.

The share price, which more than doubled since Birch's appointment in April, now appears to have cooled down following the blistering rally it experienced over the summer.