Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (Fast Retailing) reported record interim results for the six months ended 28 February 2026, prompting an upward revision to its full-year guidance and a 33 % hike in the interim dividend to 320 yen per share. Trading in the company’s Hong Kong depositary receipts will resume at 9:00 a.m. on 10 April 2026.
Revenue and Profitability • Group revenue rose 14.8 % year on year to 2,055.23 billion yen, supported by broad-based sales strength across regions and brands. • Business profit advanced 28.3 % to 386.96 billion yen; operating profit climbed 31.7 % to 400.67 billion yen; profit before tax increased 17.9 % to 428.81 billion yen. • Profit attributable to owners of the parent grew 19.6 % to 279.29 billion yen, driving basic EPS up 19.5 % to 910.25 yen. • Gross margin improved 0.8 percentage points to 54.1 %, while the SG&A ratio fell 1.2 points to 35.3 %, underscoring operating leverage.
Segment Performance • UNIQLO Japan: Revenue gained 7.4 % to 581.74 billion yen; business profit up 13.4 % to 110.70 billion yen on brisk winter and year-round product sales. • UNIQLO International: Revenue jumped 22.4 % to 1,241.38 billion yen; business profit surged 37.4 % to 233.00 billion yen, with double-digit growth across Mainland China, South Korea, Southeast Asia, North America and Europe. • GU: Revenue inched up 1.6 % to 168.48 billion yen; business profit expanded 20.1 % to 15.70 billion yen, reflecting tighter SKU management and strong demand for trend-focused items. • Global Brands: Revenue fell 7.5 % to 62.71 billion yen, slipping to a 0.70 billion-yen business loss due to weakness at Theory’s U.S. operations.
Cash Flow and Balance Sheet • Operating cash flow strengthened to 499.01 billion yen (prior-year: 298.23 billion yen), buoyed by higher earnings and a 31.51 billion-yen inventory reduction. • Net cash used in investing activities narrowed to 179.17 billion yen, while financing outflows widened to 227.46 billion yen, reflecting 79.76 billion yen in dividends and 70.00 billion yen in bond redemptions. • Cash and cash equivalents rose 147.27 billion yen since August 2025 to 1,040.51 billion yen. Total assets reached 4,299.04 billion yen; the equity ratio improved to 61.2 % from 58.9 %.
Revised FY2026 Guidance (to 31 August 2026) • Revenue: 3,900.00 billion yen, up 14.7 % year on year and 2.6 % above the prior forecast. • Operating profit: 700.00 billion yen, implying 24.1 % growth and a 7.7 % upgrade versus the previous outlook. • Profit attributable to owners: 480.00 billion yen (+10.9 %), lifting projected full-year EPS to 1,564.39 yen. • Full-year dividend forecast raised to 640 yen per share (prior year: 500 yen), consisting of 320 yen interim and 320 yen year-end payments.
Sustainability Milestones Fast Retailing achieved its 100 % responsibly sourced cotton target by December 2025 and met its 2030 scope-1 greenhouse-gas-reduction goal—cutting emissions from own operations by 90.3 % versus FY2019—four years ahead of schedule. Supply-chain emissions were reduced 19.9 % over the same period, prompting an upgraded 30 % reduction target for 2030. The company also ranked second in the apparel sector in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark.
Capital and Share Data As of 28 February 2026, the company had 318.22 million issued shares and held 11.38 million shares in treasury. The average share count for the half-year was 306.83 million.
Upcoming Corporate Action Fast Retailing will seek Hong Kong Exchange approval to resume trading of its depositary receipts on 10 April 2026, following the release of these interim results.
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