Hermes sees record H1 operating margin

French luxury goods maker Hermes, known for its US$10,000 (RM42,000) Birkin bags, said its first-half operating margin climbed to a record high of 34.3 per cent of sales, although it struck a note of caution over the impact of the euro’s strength. Chief executive officer Axel Dumas said the first-half performance could not be extrapolated to the full-year even though it was “fully-hedged” against a stronger euro this year. There could be a negative impact from a stronger euro on next year’s profits, said Dumas.