Inditex

Inditex is expanding its presence in the US and plans new stores in cities such as Denver, Phoenix and Pittsburgh, as well as launching Massimo Dutti and Bershka in New York. CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras emphasizes sequential, selective growth and profitable locations; demand will be tested via online orders before openings. Globally, Inditex is focusing on larger flagship stores and is benefiting from consumers shifting luxury purchases to cheaper brands like Zara, a move that recently helped the group surpass Hermès on the stock market. » More on manager-magazin.de

In the first half, Inditex’s revenue rose 7.6% to just under €19.8 billion and gross profit grew 8.3% to €11.6 billion, but EBIT was €3.84 billion, below consensus, and the operating margin fell to 19.5%. Higher selling, administrative and rental costs weighed on profitability. The company plans, in addition to regular investments of around €2.3 billion, additional extraordinary expenditures of about €200 million. JPMorgan and analysts view the small EBIT shortfall as offset by strong revenue trends; sales momentum at Zara, Bershka and Stradivarius remains robust. » More on deraktionaer.de

Inditex reports significant revenue and earnings growth for the first half of the fiscal year; currency‑adjusted sales in the new half‑year through Sept. 7 rose by 9 percent. The operating result (EBIT) narrowly missed analysts' expectations, sending the stock down more than 3 percent as the laggard in the EuroStoxx 50. Group revenue increased to €19.8 billion and EBIT to €3.8 billion, with net profit at €3.0 billion; the company plans investments of around €2.5 billion and aims to expand gross selling area by about 5 percent by 2026. » More on finanzen.net