Adidas says record sales in 2025 and announces €1bn share buyback

German sportswear and equipment manufacturer Adidas reported record sales for 2025. The company also announced the launch of a share buyback program worth up to €1 billion - and the acquired securities it plans to liquidate. The German sportswear and footwear maker managed to beat profit expectations despite pressure from currency fluctuations and duties.

Adidas' 2025 sales rose 13% to a record €24.8 billion, the company said on Jan. 29. Last year's operating profit rose 54% to €2.06 billion, slightly more than what the company had forecast in October.

In the fourth quarter, the company exceeded Wall Street's expectations for operating profit, Bloomberg writes. The indicator amounted to €164 million, which is almost three times more than it was in the same period of 2024. At the same time, sales excluding currency fluctuations for the quarter amounted to €6.08 billion, which was slightly below market forecasts, the agency points out.

Adidas also announced a share buyback program of up to €1 billion, which will begin in February and will be funded from "expected strong cash flow in 2026." Adidas plans to liquidate the securities after the acquisition.

Adidas intends to publish full results for 2025 and a forecast for 2026 on March 4.

Adidas' results suffered last year due to a weaker U.S. dollar and duties, Bloomberg noted. Currency fluctuations distorted revenue by more than €1 billion, the apparel and footwear maker said in a statement.

"The company expects to continue to grow through sports products and strengthen its position in key markets, aiming to return to sustainable double-digit growth rates," Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said. He said the company is looking forward to the Winter Olympics in Italy and the World Cup in North America in hopes of boosting sales.

Adidas is trying to sustain the success of its retro sneakers and new products for running and soccer. But investors are cautiously skeptical of Adidas' ambitions, with some analysts believing the perennial global sneaker boom is slowing, Bloomberg noted.

The message Adidas was published after the close of trading in Frankfurt, where the company's shares fell in price by 0.7%. Quotes of depositary receipts of Adidas on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. thanks to the results jumped by more than 4%.

Most analysts advise buying Adidas shares: they have 17 Buy ratings and five Overweight ratings out of 28 total, The Wall Street Journal shows. Another five recommend Hold and one recommends Sell (Underweight).

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor