Fast Retailing to Report Q4 Results

Fast Retailing, the owner of Uniqlo, is set to release its fourth-quarter results on Thursday. Here are the key details you should know:

Net Profit Forecast

According to a FactSet poll of analysts, it is anticipated that Fast Retailing will report a 29% decline in net profit to ¥25.07 billion ($168.8 million) for the quarter ended August 31. This is in comparison to a net profit of ¥35.50 billion in the same period last year.

Revenue Forecast

The FactSet poll also indicates that fourth-quarter revenue is expected to have increased by 13% compared to last year, reaching ¥605.46 billion.

What to Watch

Outlook

Investors are eagerly awaiting Fast Retailing's earnings forecasts for the new fiscal year that began in September. The company's guidance for the upcoming year and its insights into the operational environment will be closely scrutinized.

Margin

In the third quarter, Fast Retailing achieved an operating-profit margin of 16.3%, up from 15.0% the previous year. Investors are keen on further improvements in profitability as businesses worldwide face the challenges of high inflation.

China

Uniqlo's same-store sales in mainland China saw remarkable growth of more than 40% in the third quarter compared to the previous year. This surge was attributed to strong sales of summer clothing and a recovery in consumption following pandemic-related restrictions. Investors are particularly interested in monitoring sales growth in the company's largest market outside Japan.