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Investing.com -- Compagnie Financière Richemont SA’s (SIX:CFR) stock rose on Friday following its full-year results, which showed strong revenue growth across key regions, though margins remained under pressure.
The owner of luxury brands like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, reported full-year EBIT of €4.54 billion, largely in line with the consensus estimate of €4.56 billion.
Revenue for the fiscal year ended March 2025 reached €21.40 billion, slightly ahead of the €21.38 billion consensus.
The group saw a 7% year-over-year increase in sales for the January-March quarter, driven by a solid 11% growth in Jewellery Maisons.
However, the luxury goods company continues to face challenges from a weaker demand environment in the U.S. and limited signs of recovery in China.
The group’s gross margin for the year was 66.9%, a decline of 117 basis points from the prior year and slightly worse than the consensus estimate of 67.2%.
Operating profit margins were similarly pressured, with EBIT margin falling 204 basis points to 21.2%, excluding €72 million in one-off charges. This was slightly below the consensus forecast of 21.3%.
Regional performance in the fourth quarter was mixed. Europe recorded a 13% increase in sales, outperforming the expected 10% growth.
The Americas saw a 16% rise in sales, exceeding the 12% consensus. Japan performed particularly well with a 22% increase, above the expected 13% growth.
However, sales in the Rest of Asia-Pacific declined by 7%, much worse than the anticipated 1% drop.
The company’s net cash position improved by 11% year-over-year to €8.26 billion, supporting a proposed dividend of CHF3 per share, higher than the CHF2.73 consensus estimate.
The company’s outlook remains cautious, noting that global uncertainties will continue to require "strong agility and discipline."
Despite this, consensus expectations for fiscal 2026 anticipate an 11% increase in EBIT, though gross margin assumptions are likely to be revised downward following the earnings call, said analysts at Jefferies in a note.