Brother Industries has posted record sales for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2025, but warned of a tougher year ahead as US tariffs and currency shifts weigh on its outlook.
The Japanese electronics and printer maker reported sales of ¥876.6 billion ($5.6 billion/ €5.2 billion), up 6.5% year-on-year. Operating profit surged 40.4% to ¥69.9 billion ($446 million/ €414 million), driven by strong printer and consumables sales and the absence of the prior year’s Domino goodwill impairment. Net income jumped 73.1% to ¥54.8 billion ($359.5 million/ €335.0 million).
However, performance in its core Printing and Solutions (P&S) business was mixed. Inkjet printer sales rose, but laser hardware declined due to weak European demand and earlier supply chain issues. Total P&S revenue rose 5.8% to ¥544.8 billion ($3.57 billion/ €3.33 billion), but segment profit fell 2.5% to ¥61.0 billion ($400.0 million/ €373.0 million) as higher personnel costs offset pricing gains.
Fourth-quarter results were weaker, business segment profit dropped 38.9%, with a sharp fall in P&S profits.
Looking ahead, Brother forecasts flat sales of ¥875.0 billion ($5.74 billion/ €5.35 billion) for FY2025 and a 3.5% drop in segment profit, citing negative FX effects and US tariff burdens on Chinese-made components. The US accounts for just over 20% of Brother’s global sales.
