JD Sports Fashion PLC (LSE:JD.) shares climbed 6.2% on Monday after the retailer unveiled a new £200 million share buyback programme for fiscal year 2027, reinforcing its commitment to returning cash to shareholders.
The company said the programme will begin immediately, with an initial tranche of up to £100 million scheduled for completion by 31 July 2026. A second tranche, also worth up to £100 million, will follow thereafter as part of JD Sports’ broader capital allocation strategy.
JD Sports has appointed Merrill Lynch International to manage the first tranche, with BofA Securities executing share purchases on the London Stock Exchange as riskless principal. Trading decisions will be made independently of the company within agreed parameters.
Shares repurchased under the programme will either be cancelled or held in treasury, reducing overall share capital over time. Under shareholder approval granted at the company’s annual general meeting on 2 July 2025, JD Sports is authorised to acquire up to 515,475,677 shares, of which 368,613,803 remain available for purchase at the time of the announcement.
The authority to conduct buybacks will expire at the close of business on 31 July 2026, or earlier if the company’s 2026 annual general meeting concludes before that date, when renewal approval is expected to be sought.
JD Sports confirmed that all share purchases will comply with its general buyback authority and applicable UK market regulations, with details of transactions to be disclosed by 7:30 a.m. on the business day following each purchase.
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