Adidas Posts Record EURO24.8 Billion Revenue and Launches EURO1 Billion Share Buyback

Adidas AG has released its 2025 preliminary financial results, reporting record-breaking annual revenue of EURO24.8 billion (AUD40.5 billion).

On the back of this high-performance year, the German sportswear giant announced on 29 January 2026 that it will launch a significant share buyback program worth up to EURO1 billion (AUD1.2 billion), scheduled to commence in February.

The reason behind the record performance and buyback was a successful “quality growth” initiative led by CEO Bjørn Gulden. Despite “external turbulence”, including currency headwinds of over EURO1 billion and significant US tariff pressures, Adidas managed to maintain stable pricing and achieve double-digit growth across all markets. 

Commenting on their annual revenue, CEO of Adidas, Bjørn Gulden, said: “Our markets have been very good at managing that the right product in the right amount has been sold.”

“We have managed to keep full-price sell-throughs high and discounts under control… this is quality growth,” Gulden said.

Gulden added emphasition on how the results exceeded internal expectations.

“More than doubling our operating profit in the fourth quarter made the year end very well and made 2025 much better than we had planned,” he noted.

Preliminary 2025 Financial Performance

The organisation’s pivot toward high-demand retro franchises like the Samba and Gazelle, combined with new performance running and football lines, drove broad-based market gains.

Operating profit rose by 54% to EURO2.06 billion (AUD3.5 billion), exceeding the company’s October guidance and more than doubling the Q4 results of the previous year.

Gross margin improved to 51.6%, supported by tighter inventory management and a reduction in the mass discounting that plagued the sector in late 2024.

On a neutral basis, sales increased by 13% for the second consecutive year, reflecting resilient consumer demand for the “Three Stripes” brand globally.

2026 Commmercial Implication and Buyback Strategy

The share buyback program is a core component of Adidas’ capital allocation strategy for the coming year, intended to enhance shareholder value by retiring the repurchased stock.

The organisation expects to maintain its momentum by capitalising on major global sporting events, including the Winter Olympics in Italy and the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Full financial results and a formal 2026 annual outlook are scheduled for release on 4 March 2026.

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