Fuji Electric Co Ltd

TSE:6504

Earnings Call Analysis

Record Highs & Revised Upward Forecast Q3 FY2023

For Q3 FY2023, the company achieved record highs in net sales, operating profit, and net profit, with net sales up by JPY 68.9 billion to JPY 759.7 billion and net profits increasing by JPY 8.3 billion to JPY 37.3 billion. The operating profit rose by JPY 15.2 billion to JPY 57.7 billion, attributed mainly to higher sales and production volumes, particularly in semiconductors, automotive, and factory automation. Despite challenges like ED&C component decline and increased costs, the company offset these with higher selling prices and improved project profitability. Based on strong results, the full year forecast was revised upward, with net sales now expected to hit JPY 1,070 billion, operating profit to reach JPY 100 billion, and net profit to increase to JPY 68 billion.

Financial Highlights of Q3 FY2023

Arai, from the Corporate Management Planning Headquarters, announced record high consolidated net sales, operating profit, ordinary profit, and net profit for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Net sales reached JPY 759.7 billion, a JPY 68.9 billion increase from the previous year. Contributing to this growth was an actual demand increase by JPY 57 billion, unrelated to exchange rate impacts. Operating profit rose by JPY 15.2 billion to JPY 57.7 billion, and the operating profit ratio grew by 1.4% to 7.6%. Ordinary profit also saw a surge by JPY 15.4 billion to JPY 56.6 billion.

Factors Influencing the Performance

This financial upswing reflects key factors: a sizeable JPY 21 billion boost from increased sales and production volumes, offset by a JPY 14.3 billion impact due to rising fixed costs, depreciation, and other expenses tied to business expansion. Positive contributions included a JPY 6.6 billion lift from a mixture of improved project profitability, model mix adjustments, and higher product prices balancing out increased raw material and energy costs.

Segment Performance Round-up

While the Energy segment's operating profit dipped slightly due to weaker ED&C components demand, other segments displayed sales and profit advances. The Industry segment showcased a JPY 36.9 billion rise in net sales and a JPY 7.3 billion leap in operating profit. The Semiconductor and Food & Beverage Distribution segments together added net sales of over JPY 30 billion, signaling robust growth, particularly from automotive sales within Semiconductors and store renovations in the Food and Beverage Distribution.

Overseas Sales Dynamics

Internationally, overseas sales climbed by JPY 25.1 billion, buoyed notably by foreign exchange movements. Despite an uptick in most regions, actual sales in China contracted due to challenging market conditions. The most substantial regional gains arose from Asia, excluding the Chinese market fluctuations.

Order Book and Sales Components Overview

Despite a JPY 9.2 billion drop in overall orders received, to JPY 821.8 billion, and decreases in several components sectors, the Company observed a significant 35% surge in automotive semiconductor orders. This contrasted with double-digit reductions in factory automation and ED&C components year-on-year due to prior advance orders and market circumstances.

Financial Position

On the financial front, cash and deposits were trimmed by JPY 32.2 billion to JPY 52.5 billion, reflective of a rebound from COVID-19 impacts. There were reductions in trade receivables, countered by inventory build-ups and investments in plant-property and equipment, largely attributed to the semiconductor business. Net interest-bearing debt increased, but the company maintained a healthy debt-to-equity ratio of 0.2x and an equity ratio of 46%.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company has raised its full-year forecast, now predicting net sales of JPY 1,070 billion, which is a JPY 10 billion upward revision. The operating profit forecast has also been improved by JPY 4 billion, reaching a prospective JPY 100 billion, and setting a goal for a double-digit operating profit ratio in the medium-term. This renewed optimism is further supported by conservative expense forecasting and stable exchange rates, with anticipated additional profits if current foreign exchange levels persist.

Earnings Call Transcript 2024-Q3

[Junichi Arai, executive]

Hello, everyone. My name is Arai in charge of the Corporate Management Planning Headquarters. I'll be explaining our financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Please refer to Page 4 of the material. I will explain the profit and loss and sales compared to the previous fiscal year. Thanks to your support, we were able to achieve record high consolidated net sales, operating profit, ordinary profit and net profit for the third quarter of this fiscal year.

Net sales increased by JPY 68.9 billion to JPY 759.7 billion. Even when we exclude exchange rate impact, net sales would have increased by JPY 57 billion, solely by the actual demand. Operating profit increased by JPY 15.2 billion to JPY 57.7 billion and operating profit ratio increased by 1.4% to 7.6%. Nonoperating profit and loss, which include foreign exchange gains of JPY 1.3 billion. and some negative items increased by JPY 0.2 billion in total over the previous year. Ordinary profit increased by JPY 15.4 billion to JPY 56.6 billion and extraordinary profit went down by JPY 2.3 billion compared to the previous year, which means that the gain on sale of the investment securities was less than the previous year.

But the absolute amount of extraordinary profit was positive JPY 6 billion. Net profit increased by JPY 8.3 billion to JPY 37.3 billion. The breakdown of the JPY 15.2 billion increase in operating profit is shown in the staircase graph on Page 5. The largest factor was the increase in sales and production volumes which increased by JPY 21 billion. Unfortunately, ED&C components saw a decline, but there was a large increase in semiconductors automotive as well as a large increase in the power supply and facility systems, factory automation and the store distribution.

With regards to the fixed costs, data cost increased by JPY 4 billion. Half overseas and half in Japan. Depreciation and leases paid increased by JPY 4.2 billion, mainly for semiconductors and other expenses went up by JPY 5.9 billion, which include increases in controllable expenses and outsourcing costs on the back of the business expansion which resulted in a JPY 14.3 billion negative impact on the profit. The exchange rate fluctuation impact was positive JPY 2 billion and the impact from others was positive JPY 6.6 billion.

There were negative factors of about JPY 6 billion due to rising raw material prices and higher energy prices, which were offset by higher product selling prices. There were differences in the model mix and in profitability among the projects. Profitability of power generation projects this year went up compared to those in the previous year. All of these added up to positive JPY 6.6 billion in others. In total of these factors, operating profit went up by JPY 15.2 billion year-on-year.

From Page 6 onwards, we show a year-on-year comparison of net sales and operating profit by segment. The operating profit in the Energy segment went down due to the decline in the ED&C the components but other segments such as industry, semiconductor and food and beverage distribution posted increases in sales and profit in the Energy segment showed an increase in net sales and unfortunately, a slight decrease in operating profit.

I will explain in more detail about each segment. from Page 7. In the Energy segment, sales increased by JPY 3.6 billion, while operating profit decreased by JPY 0.8 billion. There are 4 subsegments. In the power generation business, net sales declined and operating profit went down slightly as a result of the absence of large-scale renewable energy projects, recorded in the previous equivalent period.

Energy Management showed increases both in sales and profit, driven by large orders for substation equipment and power supply equipment. Power Supply and Facility Systems showed a significant increase in both sales and profit, driven by increases in projects from data centers and semiconductor manufacturers especially overseas. In the ED&C components business, sales and profit decreased as a result of decline in demand from finished machinery manufacturers and for semiconductor production equipment.

In the Industry segment, net sales increased by JPY 36.9 billion, and operating profit increased by JPY 7.3 billion. There are 4 sub segments here as well. In the automation system, especially in the factory automation business, both sales and profit increased mainly due to increased production of factory automation components. In the Social Solutions business, net sales and operating profit went up largely as a result of increases in orders for new clear power and radiation-related equipment.

In the equipment construction business, net sales went up a lot and profit went up by a single digit. In the IT Solutions business, net sales increased, but profit remained almost unchanged. Sales increased due to winning large projects in the academic sector and the large projects in the public sector. Moving on to Page 8. In the semiconductor segment, net sales increased by JPY 19.6 billion. Operating profit increased by JPY 4 billion. In the industrial business, net sales were down and the profit was down slightly.

On the other hand, in the automotive business, both sales and profit increased significantly. Although there was an increase in capital expenditure for production capacity and the impact of a sharp rise in raw material prices, the automotive business achieved a large increase in both sales and profit, reflecting cost reductions and higher sales prices.

In the Food and Beverage Distribution, net sales increased by JPY 11.1 billion and operating profit by JPY 4 billion. And both sales and profit increased in vending machines and store distribution. In particular, the store distribution business was able to achieve a significant increase in both sales and profit due to an increase in projects for convenience store renovations and contract fixtures. Page 9 shows net sales broken down by Japan and overseas.

Overseas sales increased by JPY 25.1 billion, which includes an increase from foreign exchange. Domestic sales increased by JPY 43.8 billion. In total, net sales increased by JPY 68.9 billion over the previous year. As for the JPY 25.1 billion increase overseas, by region, sales increased in all regions mainly in Asia. But if we exclude impact from foreign exchange, actual sales in China went down due to market conditions. Looking at by business division ED&C components saw a weak trend of sales in Asia, China and the Americas.

Page 10 shows a year-on-year comparison of orders received by major components. The overall orders received decreased by JPY 9.2 billion to JPY 821.8 billion, with an increase in orders for planned related products. While orders for power supply and facility systems went down due to the large advance orders received in the previous year. Those for power generation, social solutions and Energy Management increased year-on-year.

On the other hand, orders for major components decreased by JPY 25 billion to JPY 296.6 billion. However, orders for automotive semiconductors increased significantly by 35%. Orders for factory automation and ED&C components went down by double digits year-on-year due to orders received in advance last year and partly due to market conditions. The right side of the chart shows Q3 versus Q2. As expected, the semiconductor automotive business was up 13% in Q3 compared to Q2.

Page 11 shows sales by major components. Overall sales increased by JPY 68.9 billion. But in Components, sales increased by JPY 20.1 billion to JPY 318.5 billion. Sales of semiconductor automotive increased by 36%. And factory automation sales increased by 12%, to the orders received in the previous year and the ample amount of backlog. Sales in ED&C components went down. If you look at sales in Q3 versus Q2, semiconductor automotive were up 4%.

Sales in factory automation were flat Q-on-Q. Page 13 shows the balance sheet. This is a comparison between the end of the last fiscal year, March 31 and December 31. Since the impact of COVID-19 has decreased. Cash and deposits have been reduced by JPY 32.2 billion to JPY 52.5 billion in order to bring them closer to the normal level. Notes and account receivables/trade contract assets, mainly planned related to receivables that had accumulated by March, were down JPY 24.9 billion due to progress in collection.

On the other hand, towards the end of March, inventories mainly plant-related assets increased by JPY 40 billion. Property, plant and equipment mainly in power semiconductors increased by JPY 9.9 billion, and the total assets increased by JPY 12.9 billion to JPY 1,194.5 billion. In net assets on the right side, within earnings increased by JPY 20.1 billion to JPY 385 billion. On the lower left, Net interest-bearing debt increased by JPY 24.1 billion to JPY 123.2 billion. The net debt-to-equity ratio was 0.2x, and the equity ratio was approximately 46%.

As you can see on Page 15, we have revised our full year forecast upward based on the financial results for the first 3 quarters. Net sales were revised up by JPY 10 billion to JPY 1,070 billion. Operating profit increased by JPY 4 billion to JPY 100 billion. Operating profit ratio increased by 0.2% to 9.3%. Ordinary profit increased by JPY 4.5 billion to JPY 99 billion, and net profit increased by JPY 3.5 billion to JPY 68 billion resulting in a net profit ratio of 6.4%. Below that shows forecast by segment.

Sales and operating profit forecast in the Energy segment are down due in part to the negative impact of the ED&C components business. Other segments such as industry, semiconductor and food and beverage distribution are up in both sales and profit forecast with sales up JPY 10 billion and operating profit up JPY 4 billion.

As we always say, we forecast expenses slightly conservatively. So we think there is room for a reduction of about JPY 1 million. The exchange rate, as you can see in the upper right-hand corner, has not been changed from October and is still JPY 140 to the U.S. dollar, JPY 150 to euro and JPY 19.5 to RMB. If foreign exchange rates remain at the current level, we believe this will lead to an increase in profit by more than JPY 1 billion. When I mentioned about opening profit target last time I said that we were aiming for a step-up to reach a large milestone.

But this time, I'd like to clearly say that we have set a goal of JPY 100 billion. The operating profit ratio forecast now stands at 9.3%. And we are currently in the process of putting together a medium-term management plan that will start in FY 2024. I feel that with this forecast, we have set the stage for aiming at a double-digit operating profit ratio.

As supplementary materials on Page 17, we have included for your reference. The Q3 versus Q2, Q3 versus the previous year and 9 months in total versus previous year for orders received for ED&C components, low-voltage inverters, semiconductor and vending machines. Page 18 is a comparison of net sales and profit between the results last year and the new forecast. Net sales in the current forecast are higher by JPY 60.6 billion and operating profit higher by JPY 11.1 billion. Ordinary profit higher by JPY 11.2 billion. and net profit higher by JPY 6.7 billion compared to the results last year. The breakdown by segment is as shown below. This completes my explanation.