Japan's Four Major Brewers Post Mixed Results for June 2026 Interim

The four major Japanese beer companies all announced their interim results for the fiscal year ending June 2026 on August 14. Asahi Group Holdings, Kirin Holdings, and Sapporo Breweries each reported profit gains, while Suntory Holdings posted a decline due to weak performance in its U. S. alcoholic beverage business.

Asahi Group's net profit came to 99.1 billion yen, up 68.8% from the same period in 2024, mainly thanks to the booking of gains from the sale of land at its Asahi Breweries Hakata plant in Fukuoka City. Business in Japan and East Asia was sluggish, however, due to system failures caused by a cyberattack.

Kirin Holdings' net profit was approximately 101.7 billion yen, about 1.9 times the level of the same period a year earlier. Sales of its premium beer "Good Ale" and canned cocktail "Hyoketsu" were strong, and its pharmaceutical business also grew. Sapporo Breweries' net profit reached 295.4 billion yen, roughly 165 times the year-earlier figure, driven by gains from the sale of its real estate business.

Suntory Holdings' net profit was 48.1 billion yen, down 19.2% year on year. Deteriorating conditions in the Middle East pushed up packaging material and logistics costs, squeezing profits. In the U. market, weak consumption due to rising prices led to lower sales of alcoholic beverages, mainly whiskey.