FAST RETAIL.CO.SP.HDR 1

Fast Retailing raised its full-year operating profit guidance to 700 billion yen from 650 billion yen after strong first-half results, sending shares up over 9% to a record. For the six months to Feb. 28, revenue rose 14.8% to 2.06 trillion yen and operating profit jumped 31.7% to 400.6 billion yen. Growth was led by Uniqlo International, with revenue up 22.4% and profit up 37.4%, and CEO Tadashi Yanai signaled significant growth ahead. » More on cnbc.com

Asian shares were mostly higher as Tokyo’s Nikkei rose 1.1%, led by Fast Retailing, whose shares jumped more than 7% after quarterly operating profit surged about 34% year-on-year and the company revised up its full-year forecasts. Markets were also influenced by US moves, with President Trump’s comments on boosting defence spending lifting military-related stocks and Wall Street showing mixed, modest gains. Other Asian moves included a strong Hong Kong IPO debut for AI startup MiniMax and a 6% drop in Rio Tinto amid preliminary merger talks with Glencore. » More on abcnews.go.com

Uniqlo has rolled out branded cafes—including its first U.S. coffee bar in March and nine locations worldwide—to bring customers into stores and deepen engagement with the brand. The company owns and operates most cafes and uses them for services like order pickup, repairs and apparel customization while emphasizing a cultural connection through elements such as Japanese-imported coffee beans. Uniqlo says the cafes are measured for profitability but primarily intended to improve customer experience and drive sales. » More on cnbc.com