Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing seen posting 14% jump in Q2 profit as tariffs loom
The operator of Uniqlo, Japan's Fast Retailing, is expected to post another quarter of strong earnings on Thursday, but the focus will be on how the global clothing chain navigates a trade environment thrown into disarray by new U.S. tariffs. Fast Retailing is expected to post a 14% rise in operating profit to 125.9 billion yen ($866 million) in the three months through February from a year earlier, based on the LSEG consensus forecast drawn from six analysts. From one store in Hiroshima, western Japan, 40 years ago, Uniqlo has grown to more than 2,500 locations across the world, selling inexpensive fleeces and cotton shirts made primarily in China and other Asian manufacturing hubs.