Fast Retailing 1st half operating profit climbs to record high

Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain, said Thursday its operating profit in the first half through February rose 12.7 percent from a year earlier to a record 189.28 billion yen ($1.5 billion), lifted by a weaker yen, especially against the U.S. dollar, and robust sales in North America and Europe.The Japanese retailer, which also operates the GU casual clothing brand, reported a 38.7 percent jump in net profit from the previous year to 146.84 billion yen, while its sales edged higher 1.3 percent to 1.22 trillion yen.For the full year to August, the company lifted it…READ FULL ARTICLE