Supermarket slump: Embattled sector tipped to struggle for some time to come

Embattled sector tipped to struggle for some time to come

A "slow motion car crash" has left the UK's largest supermarkets reeling as discount retailers take more market share from the established giants. But is there an opportunity for investors after savage share price falls?

The tills have been ringing less and less at Tesco, the UK's largest retailer, as well as its peers Sainsbury's and Wm Morrison, with all three seeing investor sentiment go from bad to worse in 2014. Tesco's profit warning last week was the latest in a long line of poor updates, but it nonetheless got investors selling with haste, shares in the group closing down 7% on the day. In total, Tesco is down 33% year to date, while Sainsbury's and Morrisons have shed 21% and 34% in total. Losses of this magnitude would usually indicate a clear buying opportunity for investors, especially ...