Wesfarmers may end quarterly reports

Wesfarmers incoming chief executive Rob Scott says he is talking to investors and analysts about scrapping the group's quarterly sales reports.

Wesfarmers, the owner of Coles, Bunnings and Kmart, is considering dropping quarterly sales reports with incoming chief executive Rob Scott calling them a distraction.

Mr Scott said he was talking to investors and analysts about potentially discontinuing the company's quarterly sales updates, after unveiling on Wednesday an ongoing slowdown in Coles' first-quarter sales.

He said feedback from investors has been positive towards the move, with many warning him to not get caught up in short-term figures.

"Investors like the long-term focus and in many ways quarterly sales reporting is a distraction," Mr Scott told reporters on Wednesday.

"And there are many opportunities we have through the year to ensure the market is appropriately informed."

Mr Scott was backed by outgoing chief executive Richard Goyder who said quarterly reports were time consuming and did not create a lot of value for investors.

"What we see is speculation beforehand which leads to the market moving one way or the other and the market moving one way or the other after we put it out and often, (the market) catches itself out," he said.

"It consumes a lot of time and effort from people in this organisation and in the media and analysts as well and I don't think there's great value in that."

He said there is "nothing sinister" in looking at possibly axing quarterly sales reports.

"We've got very clear disclosure obligations so if there's anything that we are aware of that the market needs to know we would make it known anyway."

Mr Goyder will step down from the job he's held for 12 years at the group's annual general meeting next month.


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