Shares surge in JD Sports as it defies UK retail gloom

Millennials’ fondness for athleisure wear helped retailer JD Sports Fashion defy Britain’s retail gloom and beat full-year earnings expectations.

The group’s expansion over the past year, with the purchase of US-based Finish Line and smaller rival Footasylum, also bolstered annual profits. Shares in the firm rose more than 7.5% to a record high.