Fast Retailing Co. said the brisk performance of its Uniqlo casual clothing brand in overseas markets helped lift the group's profits in its first half, but the firm also downgraded full-year estimates due to slowing sales at home.

For the six months through February, its consolidated net profit rose 9.5 percent from a year earlier to a record-high ¥114.03 billion ($1.02 billion) on robust Uniqlo sales in China and Southeast Asian countries.

Operating profit grew 1.4 percent to ¥172.94 billion on sales of ¥1.27 trillion, up 6.8 percent, both record highs.