Asics shares fell 14.3% on Friday, their steepest one-day drop in more than two years, as sales growth slowed. According to Sina Finance, third-quarter sales rose 21.8% year over year to 270 billion yen, below the 32.7% growth recorded in the first half. The results raised concerns that Asics might miss its full-year targets of 1.05 trillion yen in sales and 195 billion yen in operating profit. Management said some products scheduled for delivery to wholesale retailers in the third quarter had instead been sold in the second quarter, making the latest results appear weaker, and said it retained a favorable view of business for the rest of the year. CEO Yasuhito Hirota said the company was confident it could meet its operating profit target, citing strong inbound tourism to Japan and upcoming promotions including Black Friday. Asics set a goal of 1.5 trillion yen in annual sales by 2029, with annual sales growth targets of 13% for the Asics brand and 10% for Onitsuka Tiger. It also pledged to return 400 billion yen to shareholders and invest 200 billion yen in growth. President Mitsuyuki Tominaga said Asics aimed to lead the market rather than follow competitors. Onitsuka Tiger is scheduled to be spun off from Asics Group as an independent subsidiary in early 2027. Asics also plans to acquire a marathon-race registration services company and expand its OneASICS membership platform.