Yili Group released its 2026 interim report on Aug 26, achieving dual breakthroughs in both scale and quality in the first half of the year.

Yili Group releases its 2026 interim report. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The group reported operating revenue of 64.49 billion yuan ($9.59 billion), reflecting a 4.13 percent increase year-on-year, while core operating profit reached 8.38 billion yuan, up 10 percent year-on-year. Both revenue and core operating profit continued to rank first in Asia's dairy industry.

Yili announced a share buyback and cancellation plan of up to 2 billion yuan. The company will maintain a dividend payout ratio of no less than 75 percent in the coming years. Yili has distributed cumulative dividends totaling 67.3 billion yuan.

Yili's three core segments – liquid milk, milk powder and dairy products, and ice cream – continued to grow and maintained their No 1 positions. Yili's infant formula market share continued to rise, holding the top spot in national retail sales market share. Yili’s adult milk powder business also remained the industry leader.

The company's ice cream division targeted consumer demand for health and taste, innovating products while deepening its presence in core channels such as supermarkets, tourist attractions, and communities. It also expanded into emerging growth channels including membership stores and snack shops. Ice cream revenue has marked 31 consecutive years as the industry leader.

Yili has also achieved strong performance across multiple markets including Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe, and North America.

Hohhot is titled "World Dairy Capital". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]