The Swedish fashion giant H&M saw its profitability grow by 26 percent in the first quarter of 2026, according to the company. However, H&M's sales declined during the same period, which the company attributed to the strength of the Swedish krona. The specific profitability metric that increased by 26 percent, such as operating margin or net profit, has not been disclosed.
Similarly, the percentage decrease in H&M's sales for the quarter remains unconfirmed. It is unclear how exactly the strong Swedish krona impacted sales, whether through reduced international revenue or currency exchange effects. The total sales figures for the first quarter of 2026 have not been released.
H&M has not detailed the strategies it employed to boost profitability amid the sales challenges.