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☆ Analyst discusses Fast Retailing's outlook after third-quarter results
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAnalyst discusses Fast Retailing's outlook after third-quarter resultsMio Kato, founder of LightStream Research, also questioned whether the company can continue to "drive growth aggressively" just on store openings.

Persons: Mio Kato Organizations: LightStream Research

☆ 'One of the greatest ways to invest in Asia': Fund manager names 6 under-the-radar stocks to buy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Portfolio manager Richard Kaye is bullish on the Japanese market and believes it offers an opportunity "a lot of people don't recognize." The stronger performance of Japanese equities follows the Tokyo Exchange Group's push for reforms last year. Stocks to play Kaye believes several sectors and stocks in Japan make good plays right now. Among the companies on his radar are Fanuc Corp and Keyence Corp which are in the business of automation products. In medical electronics and health care, Kaye is bullish on Shimadzu Corp and Sysmex Corp .

Persons: Richard Kaye, Kaye, CNBC's Organizations: Tokyo Exchange, Fanuc, Keyence, Shimadzu Corp, Sysmex Corp, Tokyo Disney Resort, Tokyo Stock Exchange, U.S Locations: Japan, Asia, China, Tokyo, U.S

☆ The benefit that pays for itself and increases worker productivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The organization advocates for company and government policy that supports working parents. All companies offered some form of childcare benefits — stipends, on-site care, or backup care. And, for each company, its annual net return for childcare benefits far outweighed the cost. But, when a company offers childcare benefits, retaining just 1% of eligible working parents could cover the price a company pays for those benefits, the study said. Childcare benefits boost employees' career prospects and earning potentialNot only do childcare benefits support a company's bottom line, but the study shows it improves the earning potential and career growth of individual employees.

Persons: —, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Companies, Bank of America, UPS

☆ Japan's market is hitting record highs. What to know about the rally and how to play it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. equities aren't the only ones on a bull run — the Japanese stock market is also enjoying an upward climb. "It is the case that the Japanese stock market remains almost exclusively driven by foreign money," Jefferies head of global equity strategy Christopher Wood wrote in a March 7 note. According to Wood, foreign investors now own almost a third of the Japanese stock market, a dramatic rise from the 4% level in 1989, when the asset bubble reached its peak. Morgan Stanley noted that quality stocks have outperformed the broader market so far in 2024. Transitioning out of deflation Rate policy has been another big factor in the recent market rally.

Persons: Jefferies, Christopher Wood, Wood, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Makoto Furukawa, Ryota Sakagami, Citi's Sakagami Organizations: Nikkei, Global, Retailing, Holdings, Toyota Motor, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Citi, Japan, U.S, Bank of Locations: Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Bank of Japan

☆ Here's how to play Japan stocks, finally hitting a new high after 34 long years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Japan's Nikkei 225 index , a price-weighted index of 225 Japanese stocks, has also hit an historic high. A few months before that, on December 29, 1989, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index hit an historic high that stood until this week. That's about the amount the U.S. stock market dropped at the start of the Great Depression, from 1929 to 1932. .N225 5Y mountain Nikkei 225 Index in past five years. The Japanese stock market took 20 years.

Persons: it's, Japan's, Minoru Isutani, Arnold Palmer, Richard Ferris, Peter Ueberroth, Clint Eastwood, Nori, Bart Wakabayashi Organizations: Nikkei, CNBC, Japan's Nikkei, Mitsubishi, Rockefeller Center, Lone Cypress Company, Sumitomo Bank, Taiheiyo, Lone Cypress, Toyota, Honda, Sony, Hitachi, Nintendo, Sumitomo Mitsui, Japan Hedged Equity, Dow Jones, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Retailing, Softbank, Vision Fund, Foreign, Bank of Japan, White Oak Capital, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, New York, Japanese, California, Japan, U.S, Singapore

☆ Uniqlo sues Shein, claiming the company copied its viral shoulder bag
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The practical "Round Mini Shoulder Bag," which costs $20, went viral over the last year. It its lawsuit, Uniqlo is demanding damages of around 160 million yen, or $1.1 million. AdvertisementUniqlo Co. has sued rival retailer Shein over a small shoulder bag the Japanese retailer said was an inferior and unlawful copy of its hit product touted as the "Mary Poppins bag." The lawsuit demanded Shein stop selling its product that Uniqlo said looks too much like its Round Mini Shoulder Bag. The Uniqlo bag is praised on TikTok and other social media as roomy but also light and compact.

Persons: Uniqlo, Shein, —, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews Organizations: Service, Court, Roadget, Shein Locations: China, Singapore, Tokyo, Shein Japan, Japan, U.S

☆ Japanese brand Uniqlo sues Shein for allegedly copying its viral Round Mini Shoulder Bag
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Japanese brand Uniqlo is suing Shein over claims the Chinese fast-fashion retailer is selling copycats of its viral shoulder bag. Its lawsuit against Shein was filed in Tokyo on December 28 and named three of the brand’s operators — Roadget Business Pte, Fashion Choice Pte and Shein Japan — according to the Fast Retailing statement. The shoulder bag first began circulating on TikTok in 2022 and continued to blow up in popularity through 2023, with video creators praising its versatility, spaciousness and affordability. The most viral TikToks about the bag racked up millions of views, ranging from styling tips to “what’s in my bag” videos, unboxings and haul reviews. In an investor report in the third quarter of 2023, Fast Retailer credited the shoulder bag for sparking “considerable interest on social media” and expanding its customer base among women and younger shoppers.

Persons: Shein, Uniqlo, “, Temu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Retailing, Shein, Company, CNN, Retailer, US Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shein Japan, TikTok, US United States, Chinese

TOKYO (AP) — Uniqlo Co. has sued rival retailer Shein over a small shoulder bag the Japanese retailer said was an inferior and unlawful copy of its hit product touted as the “Mary Poppins bag.”The lawsuit demanded Shein stop selling its product that Uniqlo said looks too much like its Round Mini Shoulder Bag. The Uniqlo bag is praised on TikTok and other social media as roomy but also light and compact. Shein, founded in China but now based in Singapore, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed in Tokyo District Court on Dec. 28 by Tokyo-based Fast Retailing Co., which operates Uniqlo stores. Uniqlo, which has nearly 2,500 stores in 26 global markets, is behind hit affordable casual clothing like HeatTech thermal underwear.

Persons: —, Mary Poppins, Shein, Julie Andrews, Uniqlo, Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Court, Roadget, Shein Locations: China, Singapore, Tokyo, Shein Japan, Japan, U.S

☆ How China's Shein became a fast-fashion giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Shein says the approach has helped it consistently achieve average unsold inventory rates in the low single digits. At that valuation, Shein would still trail Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing's (9983.T) $80 billion valuation and Zara owner Inditex's (ITX.MC) $126 billion. Shein moved its headquarters to Singapore from Nanjing, capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province, around late 2021, a shift that analysts said helps the firm circumvent China's tough new rules on overseas listings.

Persons: Chen Lin, Shein, Chris Xu, PDD, Inditex's, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Shein, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Swedish, Zara, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu

☆ Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing annual profit rises 28% to fresh record
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customer looks at a cardigan in a store of the Uniqlo fast fashion retailer in the Sanlitun shopping district in Beijing, China, November 6, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Japan's Fast Retailing Co (9983.T), owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, reported on Thursday that full-year operating profit rose 28% to reach its second consecutive record, aided by a post-pandemic recovery in China and the yen's slide. Profit was 381.1 billion yen ($2.56 billion) in the 12 months through August compared with 297.3 billion yen, the previous all-time high, a year earlier. Operating profit is expected to rise to reach another record of 450 billion yen next fiscal year, the company said. When its Chinese operations suffered during strict COVID-19 restrictions, Fast Retailing put increased focus on markets in North America and Europe.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Tadashi Yanai, Rocky Swift, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Retailing, Japan's, Forbes, Thomson Locations: cardigan, Beijing, China, Japan, North America, Europe

Women dress in graduation gowns at the West Kowloon Cultural District in front of the Hong Kong Skyline in Hong Kong (Photo by Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Asia-Pacific markets rose as investors looked ahead to key U.S. consumer inflation data, which will inform the Federal Reserve's rate decision in its policy meeting beginning Oct. 31. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.31%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened 1% higher, with shares of Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing up nearly 1% ahead of its full-year earnings report due later in the day. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.75% at the opening bell, holding near two-week highs.

Persons: Vernon Yuen Organizations: Kowloon Cultural, Hong Kong Skyline, Getty Images, Nikkei, Retailing Locations: Kowloon, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Japan

Operating profit for the fiscal year through August is expected to rise 26% to 374.6 billion yen ($2.52 billion), according to the average estimate of 12 analysts collected by LSEG. The company has forecast 370 billion yen, which would far exceed last year's 297.3 billion yen. Consensus estimates could be underplaying the company's results given the recovery in China, the weak yen, and strong performance in the United States and Europe, said LightStream Research analyst Oshadhi Kumarasiri. "I'm expecting a positive earnings surprise and a strong set of guidance for next year," added Kumarasiri, who publishes on the Smartkarma platform. Fast Retailing's shares are up 22% in 2023, about even with the gain in the benchmark Nikkei index (.N225).

Persons: Tadashi Yanai, Oshadhi Kumarasiri, I'm, Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Uniqlo, Yanai, Rocky Swift, Varun Organizations: Retailing, Japan's, Forbes, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, United States, Europe, doldrums, North America

REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. But the tone of trading across Asian markets on Thursday may be a little more cautious than some of the headline moves on Wednesday indicate, and may also hinge on the U.S. yield curve. But ugly U.S. producer inflation data at the U.S. open on Wednesday - monthly, annual, headline and core readings were all higher than expected - was a reality check for those betting the Fed is all but done raising rates. But this flipped back again after the latest Fed minutes were released, paving the way for a late flourish on Wall Street and positive close for the three main indexes. The 'pivot' message from Fed officials this week has been pretty strong and consistent, and Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday was the latest to beat that drum.

Persons: Jason Reed, Jamie McGeever, Christopher Waller, India's, Josie Kao Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, CPI, U.S, PPI, India's CPI, Bank, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Washington, Malaysia, Asia, Japan, U.S, Europe, India, Marrakech, Morocco

☆ The Verdict on the New Helmut Lang
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Once, back in the early 2000s, I owned a black Helmut Lang pantsuit. That was a time when even the word “pantsuit” kind of made me cringe, but there was something about how this one was cut — three-button, single-breasted jacket and flat-front (but louche) pants — that skewed all its establishment implications. I wore it until I wore it out, and have been in mourning for it ever since. When I talk about it, which I still do, there is almost always another person who will come up to me with a story of their Helmut Lang. Mr. Lang wanted to go first, so he hopscotched to early September, and the entire city went with him.

Persons: Helmut Lang pantsuit, Helmut Lang, Lang Organizations: New York, Paris ., Mr, Retailing Locations: New, Paris, Paris . New York

☆ I shopped at Uniqlo's sister store GU to see why Gen Z loves the brand. I was surprised to find some pieces I liked.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GU is a fast-fashion brand targeting Gen Z with stylish, affordable clothing. I visited the store and found some of the trendier pieces, like cargo pants, quite approachable. GU has grown to nearly 450 stores in Asia but didn't enter the US market until it opened its Soho store in October 2022. Much like Uniqlo, GU carries basics like logo-free t-shirts, simple sweaters, minimalist shoes, and dress pants. I wanted to check it out for myself, so I visited to see why it's become popular among Gen Zers.

Persons: Gen Z, that's, didn't, it's, Zers Organizations: GU, New York City, Service, Fast Retailing Group Locations: New York, Wall, Silicon, Asia, Soho, Uniqlo

☆ Behind the rise of GU: The Uniqlo offshoot loved by millennials and Gen Z is the latest cool-kid brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The fast-fashion brand targets Gen Z with stylish, affordable clothing. The brand sells basics like T-shirts as well as trendy pieces like cargo pants. GU was created in 2006 as a sister brand to Uniqlo geared toward Gen Z shoppers. GU sells basics as well as trendy pieces for Gen Z and millennials. Much like Uniqlo, GU carries basics like logo-free t-shirts, simple sweaters, minimalist shoes, and dressy-casual pants.

Persons: Julissa Degante, Felix Garcia, Garcia, Degante, Gen, Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins, didn't, Chris, Zers, You'll, Hulu's Organizations: GU, Service, Uniqlo's Broadway, Fast Retailing Locations: Wall, Silicon, Uniqlo's, New York, Soho, Asia, Uniqlo, Malibu

☆ Uniqlo owner's 3Q profit surges 35%, raises forecast on China recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 13 (Reuters) - The Japanese operator of apparel retailer Uniqlo reported record third-quarter profit on Thursday and raised its full-year forecast as its business in China continued to recover from a pandemic slowdown. Fast Retailing's (9983.T) operating profit in the three months through May surged 35% to 110.3 billion yen ($797 million), exceeding the 102.4 billion yen average of forecasts from seven analysts surveyed by Refinitiv. The company raised its full-year profit forecast to 370 billion yen, also a new record, from 360 billion yen previously. Fast Retailing's Uniqlo sign boards are displayed at a casual clothing store in Tokyo, Japan January 11, 2023. Fast Retailing's shares have soared 32% so far this year, helping founder Tadashi Yanai cement his place as Japan's richest person.

Persons: Uniqlo, Issei Kato, Tadashi Yanai, Rocky Swift, Stephen Coates, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Business, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Uniqlo-owner's shares could soar by 50% over 3-5 years: Japan fund manager
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUniqlo-owner's shares could soar by 50% over 3-5 years: Japan fund managerMasakazu Takeda, portfolio manager at Hennessy Japan Fund, says shares of Fast Retailing, the company behind Uniqlo, could rise by 50% over the next 3-5 years thanks to the company expansion in Europe and the United States.

Persons: Masakazu Takeda Organizations: Hennessy Japan Fund, Retailing Locations: Japan, Europe, United States

☆ Japan’s economic scars might blind it to inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Investors worry about market ructions if Ueda hikes rates now but there is another risk: that he waits too long. Reuters GraphicsUeda’s inaction – and the domestic markets’ positive response – have bought him time to focus on evaluating macroeconomic fundamentals, particularly inflation. The country only emerged from a decades-long deflationary rut relatively recently, so local economists, executives and consumers are unused to worrying about consumer prices rising too fast. The government’s latest draft of its long-term economic plan, seen by Reuters on June 2, remains focused on eradicating Japan's “long-held deflationary mindset”. "We expect inflation to quite clearly slow below 2%" toward the middle of the current fiscal year, Ueda told parliament.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Haruhiko Kuroda, Ueda, ’, –, Richard Koo, Shinzo Abe, Francesco Guerrera, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Bank for International, Toyota, Toshiba, Black Monday, Japan Inc, International Monetary Fund, of, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, U.S, Great, China, Europe, Germany, Italy, of Japan’s

The Bank of Japan is the only major central bank that now has negative rates following aggressive tightening globally to combat inflation. It has hinted that it will alter yield curve control -- where it guides short-term rates at -0.1% and 10-year Japan government bond yield around zero -- at some point. Japanese investors hold around $1.84 trillion in foreign assets, according to Deutsche Bank. "Recent inflows into Japanese markets are mainly driven by the foreign investors," Murao said. "We do not really have a global champion such as Google, Amazon, or Meta in the Japanese markets," Murao added.

Persons: Florence Lo, Yuichi Murao, Murao, I've, Amanda Cooper, Dhara, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Nomura Asset Management, Reuters, The Bank of Japan, Nomura, Management, Equity, Treasury, Nikkei, Deutsche Bank, Apple, Visa, Toyota, Sony, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo

TOKYO, June 6 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei index extended its climb to scale a near 33-year high on Tuesday, with trading houses and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing leading the gains on technical support for heavyweight shares ahead of the fixing of special quotation prices. The Nikkei (.N225) recouped from early losses to close nearly 1% higher at 32,506.78. Shares of Fast Retailing (9983.T) climbed 1.73%, contributing the most to the Nikkei's advance, while trading company Mitsui & Co (8031.T) jumped 3.86%. Trading houses (.IWHOL.T) and mining companies (.IMING.T) led gains among the 33 industry sub-indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, rising 2.5%. read moreReporting by Rocky Swift and Nobuyo Saito in Tokyo; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: speculatively, Takashi Nakamura, Mio Kato, Nitto Denko, Rocky Swift, Nobuyo Saito, Rashmi Aich, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Nikkei, Tokai Tokyo Research, Retailing, Mitsui & Co, Mizuho Financial Group, LightStream, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Apple, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Japan's Nikkei closes at 33-year high; firm Wall Street lifts appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nikkei index (.N225) jumped 2.2% to end at 32,217.43, its highest close since July 1990 and posted its biggest daily gain since Jan. 18. "The market was supported by the gains in the U.S. market on Friday. That helped keep the money flowing into risk assets in Japan," said Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department at Tachibana Securities. Hence, when U.S. shares rise, there is no reason for not buying Japanese stocks, Kamada added. All but one of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33-sector sub-indexes rose, with machineries (.IMCHN.T) rising 3.12% to lead the gains.

Persons: Shigetoshi Kamada, Kamada, Fanuc, Junko Fujita, Janane Venkatraman, Sohini Organizations: Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Tachibana Securities, The Bank of, Reserve, Tokyo, Screen Holdings, Tokyo Stock, Utilities, Tokyo Electric Power Holdings, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Japan, The Bank of Japan, Washington, Philadelphia

HONG KONG, June 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shein is threading the world’s trickiest geopolitical needle. But rising American pressure is forcing it to tweak its business model right as it tries to list there. Last year, its top line surged 46% to $23 billion, per the Wall Street Journal, surpassing $22 billion at H&M and outpacing the 18% growth at Inditex. A Boston Consulting Group report notes that this model allows Shein to keep inventory turnover at just 40 days. That will be expensive; the company's net profit margin was a razor-thin 3.5% last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, far below bricks and mortar rival Inditex's 13%.

Persons: Shein, Bernstein, Chris Xu, Xu, Mubadala, Pete Sweeney, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, U.S ., Rivals, Street, Financial Times, Boston Consulting, Morningstar, Securities and Exchange Commission, Wall Street, ’, Singapore, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Zara, China, Inditex, Guangdong, U.S, Xinjiang, Nanjing, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, India

HONG KONG, May 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investing in China need not be too stressful, provided you avoid investing in Chinese companies. A spending pop in the transport, food and beverage and hospitality sectors helped lift first-quarter GDP to 4.5%. But that data was flattered by comparison to a grim 2022, and April data on imports, inflation and bank loans all disappointed. While Beijing’s crackdowns on domestic technology companies and property developers have eased, other risks are rising. Separately, quarterly revenue at Alibaba is expected to rise 3% year-on-year to 211 billion yuan ($30.5 billion) in the three months to March, according to the average analyst forecast on Refinitiv.

NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Fast Retailing's (9983.T) Uniqlo plans to expand its existing stores in North America by 10%, according to one of its executives. Fast Retailing reported a 16.4% rise to 220 billion yen ($1.65 billion) in first-half operating profit earlier this month. The company also raised its full-year profit forecast to 360 billion yen ($2.7 billion) from 350 billion yen ($2.63 billion). Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Uniqlo North America chief executive, said in an email to Reuters that the chain chose to launch the Ottawa and Calgary stores after seeing a "strong online presence" there. Sweden's fast fashion giant H&M has more than 738 stores in North and South America as of February 2023, according to the retailer's website.

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