Woolworths reported 1Q23 sales growth of 1.8%. This low rate of growth simply reflects a high hurdle from lockdowns over the past two years. We expect sales growth to recover to 5%-6% from here and the growth gap to Coles will narrow. The market remains orderly around price inflation, which will support earnings growth. Moreover, the headwinds in NZ should ease soon and margins are likely to recover in calendar 2023.

JB Hi-Fi provided a FY22e trading update with consistently strong sales and better gross margins in 2H22e. EBIT was 9% ahead of our forecast. The strength in sales, tightness of inventory and price rises make us more bullish in the near-term (FY23e) but more cautious on FY24e. With a net cash position, good dividend yield and low PE, we expect the stock to perform well.

Super Retail Group’s trading update shows largely consistent sales trends over the past 10 weeks, with LFL sales up 3.4%. Supercheap Auto remains the standout segment. Gross margins are steady and the company is more optimistic about store openings. Super Retail’s PE ratio has derated on concerns about its inventory position. We think those concerns are misplaced given the challenges in securing inventory that will continue throughout 2022.