real-time news
from real people

(AWP Alliance News) - Keyence Corp on Friday reported increased net sales, profit and a higher dividend for its latest financial year.

The Osaka, Japan-based provider of systems for factory automation reported JPY1.169 trillion, or USD7.33 billion, in net sales for the year ended March 20, up 10% from JPY10.059 trillion the year before.

Attributable net income rose 12% annually to JPY445.19 billion from JPY398.66 billion. Earnings per share increased 12% to JPY1,835.63 from JPY1,643.77.

Operating income increased 8.4% to JPY595.76 billion from JPY549.78 billion, and ordinary income rose 13% to JPY635.76 billion from JPY561.01 billion.

Keyence's final dividend for the year is JPY275.00 per share, up 57% from JPY175.00. Combined with second-quarter dividends of the same value, this brings the financial 2026 total payout to JPY550.00, up 57% from JPY350.00 per share in financial 2025.

For the year ending March 20, 2027, Keyence forecasts a second-quarter dividend of JPY275.00, a final dividend of the same amount, and a total dividend of JPY550.00 per share, which would be unchanged from those in financial 2026.

Also on Friday, Keyence announced that Honorary Chair & Director Takemitsu Takizaki, due to his term of office expiring, will retire from the board at the conclusion of its ordinary general meeting of shareholders on June 12.

Shares in Keyence closed down 0.5% at JPY63,180.00 on Friday in Tokyo, although they had been trading higher in the morning.

By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - Sentiment among German businesses worsened significantly in April, according to survey results published by the Ifo Institute on Friday.

The Ifo business climate index for Germany registered 84.4 points in April, down from 86.4 in March and below consensus for 85.5 points.

April's result was the lowest since May 2020, Ifo noted, with companies pessimistic about the current trading environment and outlook for the months ahead, as they are pressured by cost inflation resulting from conflict in the Middle East.

The chemical and service sectors showed particular concern, as did logistics firms, whose outlook Ifo described as 'grim'. Expectations within the construction sector also took a dive.

'Retailers are worried in particular that consumers will be more reticent due to rising inflation,' Ifo said. 'Hopes for an upswing have been dashed for now.'

This follows a tough data readout for the country on Thursday, when S&P Global released flash purchasing manager's index results, saying the German economic recovery has been 'stopped in its tracks' by the US-Israel war with Iran.

The flash PMI composite output index registered 48.3 points in April, falling below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction, and coming in below March's reading of 51.9 points. The April score was the lowest in 16 months, S&P Global noted.

By Holly Munks, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

(AWP Alliance News) - A troubled joint Franco-German fighter jet project has not failed, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, amid fears the Future Combat Air System programme could collapse.

Asked at an informal EU leader summit in Cyprus whether the FCAS project, which also involves Spain, had failed, Macron said: 'No, not at all.'

He added that he had held constructive talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the issue.

The two countries' defence ministries have been tasked with working on various areas and different issues over the coming weeks, Macron said, adding that this was not just about FCAS but European security as a whole.

'Europe has never needed unity, greater independence and greater sovereignty as much as it does now.'

FCAS is due to enter operation in 2040 and designed to fly in conjunction with drones, ultimately replacing Germany's Eurofighter and France's Rafale fighter jets. Rafale jets are made by

If realized, FCAS would be the largest and most expensive European armaments project. The total costs are estimated at hundreds of billions of euros.

The companies involved - Dassault Systemes SE, Airbus SE's Airbus Germany and Spain's Indra Sistemas SA - have so far failed to reach an agreement on the construction of the jet, however.

Recent talks involving two mediators have not yielded a mutually acceptable outcome. A failure would be a major setback for European defence cooperation and Franco-German relations.

source: DPA

Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.