Sekisui Chemical (4204) Q2 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• First-half net sales reached a record ¥629.8 billion, but operating profit declined to ¥45.4 billion due to weak market conditions, especially in the auto and EV sectors, and one-off European expenses, missing forecasts.

• Ordinary profit increased to ¥49.0 billion, aided by foreign exchange gains, but profit attributable to owners dropped to ¥31.7 billion due to lower gains on investment securities.

• Full-year guidance was revised, with net sales forecast at ¥1,323.2 billion and operating profit at ¥110.0 billion, reflecting challenging market conditions.

• Annual dividend per share is planned at ¥80, marking the 16th consecutive year of dividend growth, with significant share buybacks and a total return ratio near 100%.

• Comprehensive income surged 96% to ¥46.7 billion, driven by improved foreign currency translation and securities valuation.

Financial highlights

• 1H FY2025 net sales: ¥629.8 billion (+0.1% YoY); operating profit: ¥45.4 billion (-6.7% YoY); ordinary profit: ¥49.0 billion (+1.7% YoY); profit attributable to owners: ¥31.7 billion (-26.1% YoY).

• Gross profit margin: 32.2%; operating margin: 7.2%; EPS: ¥76.47.

• Interim dividend: ¥40 per share, up ¥3 YoY.

• Total assets: ¥1,374.8 billion; net assets: ¥853.9 billion; equity-to-asset ratio: 60.0%.

• EBITDA for 1H FY2025 was ¥73.8 billion; ROE: 9.0%.

Outlook and guidance

• 2H FY2025 net sales forecast at ¥693.4 billion; operating profit expected to rebound to ¥64.6 billion.

• Full-year net sales planned at ¥1,323.2 billion (+2.0% YoY); operating profit at ¥110.0 billion (+1.9% YoY); profit attributable to owners at ¥72.0 billion (-12.1% YoY).

• Dividend to rise to ¥80 per share for the year, with additional share buybacks totaling 14 million shares.

• Growth expected across all segments in 2H, focusing on high-performance products and cost control.

• Forecast revision reflects weaker-than-expected market conditions.