2 of my favourite UK stocks are down 10% in a week! Should I buy more?

JD Wetherspoon (LSE:JDW) and Judges Scientific (LSE:JDG) are two of my favourite UK stocks. Apparently, I like companies with names that begin with ‘J’. 

As I write this, however, each one is down (at least) 10% since the start of the week. So is this a chance for me to add to my investments, or has something gone badly wrong?

JD Wetherspoon

JD Wetherspoon issued its trading update for the 25 weeks up to 18 January and despite the fact the share price has been falling in response, I think the business is actually doing well.

The firm opened six new pubs and eight franchised ones. But even aside from this, sales were up 4.7% overall with stronger growth in the second half of the period.

During the Christmas period, JD Wetherspoon achieved like-for-like sales growth of 8.8%. That’s impressive in comparison to the 5.1% (which still isn’t terrible) achieved by the wider pub industry.

The stock fell though, because the risk that investors have been mindful of over the last year or so is starting to materialise. Higher costs for staff and utilities are cutting into profit margins. 

That’s not good and it’s something investors need to keep an eye on. But I think the company has an extremely strong competitive position and it’s in a better position to deal with these than its rivals. 

The reason is that it has a lower cost base that comes from operating at scale and avoiding lease liabilities by owning its pubs outright. That hasn’t changed and I think it’s a key long-term strength. 

Judges Scientific

By contrast, there wasn’t much that was positive about Judges Scientific’s full-year update. Revenues were up, but earnings per share were down and the firm’s outlook for 2026 is very weak. 

The numbers for 2025 don’t look great and even they were boosted by a contract that won’t be repeated in the year ahead. But the company’s big problem has been research funding in the US. 

This highlights the risk of a heavy concentration in an industry that depends on government policy. The latest news on this front, however, has been extremely positive for Judges Scientific.

Congressional appropriators have categorically rejected the administration’s requests for cuts to major research funders. And in some cases, they’ve gone the other way. 

Instead of a 40% cut, the National Institutes of Health is set for an increase. The National Science Foundation is set for a drop, but this is focused on the budget for education, rather than equipment.

Judges Scientific isn’t seeing the positive effects of this yet and that’s why its profit forecast is around 50% below expectations. I think, though, that this is a big sign the firm might be through the worst.

What should I do?

So which stock am I looking to buy? Without wanting to be boring, the answer is a simple one – both. 

The reason I own shares in JD Wetherspoon and Judges Scientific is because I think both have strong competitive positions. And nothing much has changed on this front.

This is what I think matters most with a long-term investment. So I’m seeing both stocks as buying opportunities for my portfolio.

The post 2 of my favourite UK stocks are down 10% in a week! Should I buy more? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

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Stephen Wright has positions in J D Wetherspoon Plc and Judges Scientific Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Judges Scientific Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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