Halfords shares hit four-year high as warm weather lifts annual profit outlook

See more This is Money on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 04:32 EDT, 27 August 2026 Halfords shares hit a four-year high this morning as warm weather helped to boost the retailer’s profit outlook for the year.The bicycle and car parts chain said the ‘heightened seasonal demand’ for its products, including air conditioning, had delivered an extra £5million in profits.An unusually warm summer has driven demand, with annual results now expected to be weighted to the first half, it said.It now expects annual pre-tax profits of between £55million and £65million, above previous expectations of £52.6million.Shares surged 11 per cent at the open to 271p, bringing year-to-date gains to over 90 per cent.It said: ‘Halfords has continued to outperform over recent months. 'This reflects momentum in the underlying business as we continue to deliver against our strategic priorities alongside a very strong performance in seasonal categories, in part reflecting unusually warm summer weather.’ Halfords shares hit a four-year high after the chain lifted its annual profit outlook It offers a much-needed boost to Halfords, which is looking to ramp up sales and offset rising costs across its garage and retail arms.Halfords said it planned to modernise its garage network by bringing specialist electric vehicle servicing equipment into most sites and giving staff tablets to support vehicle inspections.It has opened more than 100 of these garages and is aiming for another 35 this year.The FTSE 250 firm returned to profit in its previous financial year after sales jumped 4.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis. It said its repair services continued to gain traction in the period, as the firm believes Britain's ageing car stock presents an opportunity for growth.Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG said: ‘Halfords shares have really climbed in recent months, and today's numbers seem to confirm that this wasn't just due to over-inflated expectations.‘Not only was guidance boosted significantly, but the whole forecast bracket sits above previous expectations. The risk now is that the end of the long hot summer will see appetite for getting out and about start to dim, but a pickup in marketing should help offset that to a degree.’DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you