As I form my investing technique for 2025, I’m looking for the earliest information from our prime FTSE 100 firms. Figuring out how they ended 2024 and listening to their tackle the approaching 12 months can provide us a really feel for a way the yr would possibly go.

Grocery store chief

Tesco (LSE: TSCO) has a Christmas buying and selling replace lined up for 9 January. Within the first half, reported in October, Tesco posted a 3.5% rise in group gross sales. Adjusted working revenue rose 15.6%. I didn’t like a few issues although, and that’ll sharpen my scrutiny after we get this subsequent replace.

Retail money move dropped by 7.8%. It’s nonetheless respectable, and the corporate put it partly down to greater tax. However I believe we’re at a key level the place I wish to see money move strengthening.

Debt blipped up a bit too, although solely 2.1%. Falling could be good.

The board’s full yr steerage spoke of “retail free money move inside our medium-term steerage vary of £1.4bn to £1.8bn“. So 1 / 4 additional on, that’ll be the place my eyes go first.

Constructing again

Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW.) brings us a buying and selling replace on 16 January. It comes forward of FY outcomes due on the finish of February.

The housebuilding enterprise could be one other bellweather for inventory market sentiment. And sentiment appears to be like blended proper now, because the Taylor Wimpey share price has fallen previously couple of months.

That ties in with the rising chance that Financial institution of England rates of interest will keep greater for longer. And it clouds a 9 November replace which spoke of “enchancment in buyer demand as mortgage charges decreased“.

So what I’m on the lookout for is an replace on how demand has been going within the closing two months of the yr.

The agency did say it’s “on monitor to ship UK volumes consistent with earlier steerage and group working revenue consistent with present market expectations“. We’ll see.

Up within the air

The easyJet (LSE: EZJ) share price has been gaining floor for the reason that summer season, forward of Q1 outcomes due on 22 January.

And with a forecast price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of solely eight, I’m wondering if it could be one of many final to reply to any market bullishness.

Forecasts present earnings development. It’s solely modest, but it surely might see the P/E decline a bit extra if the price doesn’t choose up. Airways could be risky at the perfect of occasions although, so a decrease P/E doesn’t shock me an excessive amount of.

The yr ended 30 September appeared ok. However it was the 2025 outlook that caught my eye. The board’s on the lookout for a 3% rise in capability to round 103 million seats. That may very well be the metric to observe.

Shares to observe?

I’m unsure if I’ll purchase any of those three in 2025, although Taylor Wimpey’s most likely the more than likely.

However I charge all three as key ones to observe for traders considering their sectors, or the inventory market generally. I reckon every might replicate market sentiment over totally different timescales.