Smiths City puts off capital return until next year as tight trading leads to earnings downgrade

Smiths City puts off capital return until next year as tight trading leads to earnings downgrade
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth Oct. 25 (BusinessDesk) - Smiths City Group has delayed a planned $5.7 million capital return to shareholders a second time as increasingly tight trading conditions prompted the retail chain to downgrade its first-half earnings outlook.  Christchurch-based Smiths City won't consider the capital return until 2018 as stiff competition and the need for more investment in its transformation programme led the board to maintain a more conservative capital structure. The retailer already delayed plans to pay 72 cents per share in a...