Adidas Q4 Net Profit Jumps 29%The German activewear giant cited record full-year sales and the highest margin in its history.

[Collection]PARIS — Adidas AG sprinted to the finish line as it ended 2018 with a spike in fourth-quarter earnings, wrapping a year of record sales and the highest margin in the company’s history, fueled by double-digit growth in Adidas North America, China and e-commerce. “We have made great strides toward and are confirming our 2020 financial ambition,” said Adidas chief executive officer Kasper Rorsted. “In 2019, we will continue to drive the execution of ‘Creating the New’ to deliver another year of quality top-line growth and overproportionate bottom-line improvements.” Net income from continuing operations in the three-month period, excluding a negative one-time tax impact, were up 29 percent to 93 million euros, with sales rising 3.5 percent to 5.23 billion euros, coming off a high base. Net income in full-year 2018 rose 19.5 percent to 1.70 billion euros, with revenues rising 3.3 percent to 21.91 billion euros, driven by double-digit growth in Adidas’ Sport Inspired category and high-single-digit gains in Sport Performance. The company’s operating margin increased 1.1 percentage points year-on-year to 10.8 percent. In terms of outlook, the German activewear giant on Wednesday said it expects top-line growth of between 5 percent and 8 percent in 2019, adding that its failure to meet a

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