Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd

TSE:4204

Earnings Call Transcript 2024-Q1

[Futoshi Kamiwaki, executive]

This is Futoshi Kamiwaki, Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Sekisui Chemical. I'd like to go over the financial results for the first quarter of FY '23. Page 1 shows the currency assumptions, the actual results for Q1 and the outlook for the first half as well as the sensitivity of the business to foreign exchange. Compared to the same period last year, both euro and U.S. dollar were stronger and expected to remain stronger against the yen. The earnings forecast reflects the benefit of the weaker yen.

Page 2 is a snapshot of the first quarter results, with net sales achieving JPY 285.4 billion, operating profit JPY 15.3 billion; ordinary profit, JPY 22.2 billion and net profit JPY 24.1 billion. Net sales as well as operating profit and ordinary profit all achieved positive growth. Net profit also increased significantly owing to the sale of cross-shareholdings. Operating profit was slightly ahead of the plan. Page 3 summarizes the Q1 results by segment. For HPP or the High Performance Plastics Company, the business in electronics field continue to be sluggish, and the industrial field struggled a little as well.

On the other hand, the mobility business secured an increase in profit, thanks to the improvement in selling prices and recovery in aircraft-related demand. All in all, HPP tracked on par with our plan, achieving a profit level comparable to last year. In the housing company, while new housing orders were below our expectation, Q1 results outperformed the business plan calling for sales and profit growth on the back of our efforts to smooth the sales fluctuation as well as achieving higher unit prices. In Urban Infrastructure and Environmental Products Company, or UIEP, despite the lower-than-expected domestic housing demand, both sales and profit increased owing to our tenacious efforts to secure the spreads. Q1 performance exceeded the plan. The medical business fell short of the plan, resulting in decline in sales and profit as the Q1 performance was impacted by the delay in new product launch in the U.S.

Next, Page 4 illustrates the market outlook. The global auto production volume is almost in line with the April forecast. Aggregating Q1 and Q2, the first half of the fiscal year is expected to be nearly in line with our forecast. The smartphone shipment is also trending in line with the projection from the outset of the year. Our expectation is that the market will gradually recover from Q2 and beyond. After a significant drop in the number of visitors to the housing visitors in Q1, we are now seeing a gradual recovery and expect the second quarter to be level compared to the same period last year. New housing starts continue to be weaker than expected, and the domestic naphtha price is expected to trend lower than the assumption in the second quarter.

Next, on Page 5, you will find the first half forecast by segment. The first half OP is projected to be JPY 42.2 billion, which is in line with the April forecast. However, there are some upward and downward revisions by segment. In HPP, we expect the industrial field to continue to be challenged slightly in the second quarter, but we are focusing on expanding the spread and expect profits to increase nearly in line with the plan. While the housing business has been affected by a significant decrease in the number of houses sold due to the lingering decline in orders, the renovation business has been progressing as planned.

Having said that, the OP outlook for the housing company has been revised down. Similarly, the housing market environment is not necessarily good for UIEP, but we have revised up the OP projection on the back of our ongoing tenacious efforts to secure spreads. Although the medical business has been impacted by the delay in the launch of new products, we expect the recovery of diagnostic demand in Japan and the growth of the pharmaceutical sciences business to offset that impact, resulting in profit growth as planned.

Page 6 shows the quarterly numbers by segment, and I'd like to draw your attention to the projection for Q2. We expect a certain level of demand recovery in the second quarter and project for a strong profit growth in HPP. On the other hand, we expect a profit decline for the housing business due to the significant impact of the decline in orders. Nevertheless, we expect to secure an increase in profit for the second quarter on a consolidated basis. Next, Page 7 illustrates the first half outlook for net sales and the factors behind the change in the operating profit. Sales are expected to increase by JPY 3.7 billion. The waterfall chart indicates that the sales volume and mix component is substantially down from the April projection. On the other hand, the selling price and the raw material spread has expanded from the April outlook. CR or cost reduction activities have been implemented at a greater magnitude than the initial plan and fixed cost savings were also higher than planned. The currency impact is also in favor for us, and we are forecasting an OP growth of JPY 1.9 billion in total.

Page 8 is a summary of the first half forecast. Although we have revised down the sales forecast by JPY 18.5 billion, the operating and ordinary profit projections remain unchanged from April. And the net forecast has been revised up by JPY 9.1 billion. The interim dividend is currently projected to be JPY 33 per share, in line with the plan set forth at the beginning of the year. Next, Page 9 illustrates the full year guidance for FY '23. Although net sales have been revised down slightly, operating profit and ordinary profit remain unchanged from the original plan. The net profit forecast on the other hand, has been revised up by JPY 5 billion after taking into account some risks in the second half of the fiscal year.

Next, I would like to offer more details by company, starting with the net sales and the analysis of OP for HPP. Sales are expected to be almost the same level as the previous year. Looking at the factors behind the change in OP, the sales volume and product mix factor in particular, has been revised down significantly from the April expectation with the industrial field specifically under slight pressure. On the other hand, the spread between the selling price and the raw materials has expanded, thanks to a modest decline in raw material costs compared to April. The CR activities were executed at a scale greater than the plan. Higher than expected fixed cost savings in the currency also worked in our favor, and we maintain our profit growth target of JPY 2 billion, in line with our April plan.

Page 11 shows the trend in the 3 strategic fields. First, in the electronics field, panel-related demand is on a recovery trend, but semiconductor-related demand is below expectations. Despite such market environment, we are making steady progress in new business acquisition, both in the LCD and the non-LCD fields. We expect a certain degree of recovery in the second quarter. In mobility, we continue to enjoy sales growth of high-performance interlayer films, especially for head-up displays, which maintains a growth rate of over 15%.

For heat release materials, shipments from our new production based in North America starts in the second quarter. SEKISUI AEROSPACE is currently focusing on making the production systems more robust as the number of aircraft models in production has been slightly increasing. The industrial fields shown at the lower left has been significantly affected by the sluggish demand for materials for construction and consumer goods in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Against this backdrop, we are focusing on maintaining selling prices and securing spreads, while accelerating supply chain cost innovation to support the business.

Page 12 covers the housing company. Sales of the housing company is projected to be JPY 262.8 billion, an increase of JPY 2.6 billion. On the other hand, the OP for the new housing business is expected to decline by JPY 2.1 billion year-on-year. We continue to see the share price in component costs and the business is slightly impacted by ForEx losses as well. Although these are offset by raising the unit prices and CR activities, the number of houses sold in the first half will decrease significantly due to the lower-than-expected orders. Accordingly, we have revised down the OP forecast for the housing business and will consider and implement measures to augment profitability. On the other hand, we expect an increase in OP in renovation business and other businesses, which includes town and community development. As a result, we expect a decrease of JPY 1.3 billion in profit for the first half of the fiscal year.

Page 13 outlines the KPIs by business segment. The orders for new construction shown at upper left were expected to be 95% year-on-year in the first half as of April. However, we have revised down the forecast to 86%. As for the number of orders by building type, the market for ready-built houses and subdivision housing where we expect strength as well as market for apartment building remain relatively strong o we will step up our efforts to expand sales in those markets. We are making steady progress in the smart house 0 emission housing ratio. On the other hand, as indicated at the bottom half of the slide, the renovation business, purchase and resell BeHeim business and Town and Community Development business are making progress on par with the plan.

Next, on Page 14, I'd like to elaborate on UIEP. Sales are projected to be JPY 109.3 billion, almost the same level as the previous year. The analysis of operating profit shows that the sales volume and product mix was slightly weaker than the April plan affected by a decline in domestic housing demand and weak nonresidential market. Having said that, the spread between the selling price and raw material cost has been secured, and we have revised up our OP guidance for UIEP. The first half profit projection of JPY 8.5 billion will be a record high for UIEP. Page 15 summarizes the status of the 3 strategic fields. Pipe Systems, in particular, has been affected by a decline in housing demand. The piping materials business for plants, which have been underpinning robustness has been slowing down modestly from the second quarter, but we are planning to make up for this by expanding sales of prioritized products.

In the vinyl chloride raw materials business, while the PVC demand is weak, demand for chlorinated PVC is expected to continue to be firm, mainly in India and the Middle East. In Building and Infrastructure composite materials on the right, while the domestic residential demand for thermal insulation and noncombustible materials remains weak, sales have been growing for nonflammable urethane with more customers accepting the product. For the FFU business, although they have been delayed in some projects, adoption of FFU is expanding in Europe and the new plant in Europe is scheduled to start operation in the second half of the fiscal year as planned. The Infrastructure renovation business is shown at bottom left. The demand for pipeline renewal as well as the tank and plant-related demand for Aqua Systems business are relatively strong. For the fields that we are particularly focusing on for growth, such as prioritized products and growth driving businesses, the trend is indicated on the right. The performance has been making steady progress compared with the previous year.

Lastly, the Medical business on Page 16. Sales is projected to increase by JPY 2.3 billion to JPY 45.2 billion. As for the analysis of the operating profit, diagnostics demand in Japan is firm, thanks to the steady recovery, while the diagnostics business overseas has been affected by the delay in the new product launch in the United States, as mentioned at the outset. The Chinese market remains solid. The overseas diagnostics business in total will make a JPY 600 million contribution for the year-over-year OP growth. Pharmaceutical Sciences business is growing steadily in line with the plan. Fixed cost reduction will also contribute, and we expect to achieve the OP target as planned.

Page 17 illustrates the status of each business in the medical business. The sales for diagnostics business in Japan is growing, following a solid recovery of the outpatient test demand. Although the Diagnostics business overseas has been somewhat impacted by the delay in new product launch in the U.S., we expect to start the new product sales in the second quarter in August. In sum, we expect to catch up in Q2 with the new product in the U.S. and steady business in China. In the Pharmaceutical Sciences business, on the lower left, full scale operation has commenced in Q1 at the new facility we invested at the Iwate plant, and we expect the Pharmaceutical Sciences business to expand steadily. Please have a look at some of the examples of new product development outlined at bottom right. With that, I will conclude my presentation. Thank you very much for your attention.