Toray Industries, Inc. (3402) Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Thank you very much for joining us today despite your busy schedule. On behalf of Toray Group, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude towards your continued understanding and your interest in our management and business activities. Now I'd like to report Toray's business results for the fiscal year ended March 2026 and the business forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027. Now I'd like to follow the table of content shown on Page 1. This is a summary of the business performance and forecast. Core operating income of FY 2025 slightly decreased year-on-year to JPY 141.9 billion due to effects from the stagnant market conditions and inventory adjustment despite the promotion of structural reform and strategic pricing. Core operating income of the fiscal year ending March 2027 is forecasted to increase year-on-year to JPY 160 billion, given the profit increase driven by business expansion in the growth business fields and promotion of the structural reform while factoring in the risks associated with the situation in the Middle East. In terms of annual dividend, the company plans to pay JPY 26 per share of common stock, a JPY 6 increase compared with the previous fiscal year. This dividend includes a JPY 3 of commemorative dividend to mark its 100th anniversary as part of the interim dividend. I will explain the details starting from the next page. I'd like to begin with an overview of business results for the fiscal year ended March 2026. Please turn to Page 4. Revenue for the fiscal year ended March 2026 increased 0.9% to JPY 2,585.1 trillion compared with the previous fiscal year, and core operating income decreased 0.6% to JPY 141.9 billion. Net income increased 2.1% to JPY 79.5 billion. ROIC was 4.7%, while ROE was 4.5%. Page 5 is about Special Items. Special Items for the period worsened by JPY 29.4 billion compared with the previous fiscal year to negative JPY 44.7 billion. Toray recorded JPY 25.1 billion of impairment losses as profitability worsened in the battery separator film business and its subsidiary in the Republic of Korea due to the sluggish EV market, et cetera. Page 6 about assets, liabilities, equity and free cash flow. As for financial condition at the end of March 2026, both assets and liabilities were affected by the increase in translated yen amount of overseas subsidiaries because of the depreciation of the yen. Total assets stood at JPY 3.477 trillion, up JPY 184.4 billion from the end of the previous fiscal year due primarily to increases in trade and other receivables, property, plant and equipment as well as retirement benefit assets. Total liabilities decreased JPY 77.1 billion from the end of the previous fiscal year to JPY 1,549.1 trillion, owing mainly to decreases in borrowings. Total equity increased by JPY 107.3 billion compared with the end of the previous fiscal year to JPY 1,927.8 billion, mainly owing to an increase in other components of equity despite a decline due to the purchase of treasury shares. Owners' equity was JPY 1,800.1 trillion. Interest-bearing liabilities was JPY 905.6 billion, and D/E ratio was 0.5. Free cash flow was positive at JPY 144.8 billion. Now Page 7 shows the factor analysis of JPY 0.8 billion decrease in core operating income for the fiscal year ended March 2026 on a year-to-year comparison. The Fibers & Textiles segment remained strong, mainly in the apparel applications. Meanwhile, in the Performance Chemicals segment, core operating income decreased due to weak sales of battery separator film and lack of temporary factors, including reversal of allowance that increased profit in the previous fiscal year. In the Carbon Fiber Composite Materials segment, profit decreased due mainly to the impact of demand correction in the industrial applications, including businesses that fall under structural reform and Darwin project. As for the net change in price, strategic pricing has proceeded steadily. Core operating income decreased 0.6% year-on-year and core operating income margin fell 0.1 points. Using Page 8 and after, I'd like to explain the results of each segment. First, Fibers & Textiles. Revenue of this segment exceeded JPY 1 trillion for 2 consecutive fiscal years. Revenue increased 4% to JPY 1,051.1 trillion compared with the previous fiscal year, and core operating income rose 6% to JPY 68 billion. The apparel applications were strong overall despite the stagnation in the European market and continued impact of the intensified competition with overseas products. In the industrial applications, amid the sense of stagnation in the markets, including the automotive applications, the group strived to reduce costs. Page 9 is the Performance Chemicals segment. Revenue decreased 5.3% to JPY 894.4 billion compared with the previous fiscal year. Core operating income decreased 6.2% to JPY 56.3 billion. In the resins and chemicals businesses, the resins business stagnated due to the impact of the slowdown in the automotive applications, while the Chemicals business was also affected by the worsening market conditions. In the film business, demand for the electronic component-related applications and the automotive capacity applications grew, while sales of battery separator film stagnated. In the electronic and information materials business, sales of new products for the power inductor applications expanded, while OLED-related materials and circuit materials were affected by the slow demand for display panels and intensified competition in China. Page 10 is the Carbon Fiber Composite Materials segment. Revenue was almost unchanged year-on-year, JPY 300.1 billion, and core operating income was JPY 17.6 billion, a 21.7% decrease from the previous fiscal year. In the aerospace applications, sales for major customers have steadily recovered accompanying the alleviation of inventory adjustment in supply chain. In the sports applications, sales of the high-end products for outdoor leisure were steady. However, inventory adjustment of the general purpose products continued. In the industrial applications, the pressure vessel applications entered an adjustment phase and recovery of the wind turbine blade applications were also delayed. Page 11. In the Environment & Engineering segment, revenue increased 12.8% to JPY 266.9 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, and core operating income increased 11.2% to JPY 28.8 billion. In the water treatment business, reverse osmosis or RO membranes for the Middle East and plant construction projects in Japan remained solid. However, the business was affected by the stagnant market conditions in China and intensified competition. As for subsidiaries in Japan, sales of engineering and construction subsidiaries remained strong. Page 12 is the Life Science segment. Revenue decreased 1.4% to JPY 52.4 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, and core operating income increased by JPY 0.7 billion to negative JPY 0.1 billion. In the Pharmaceutical Business, overseas sales grew mainly in China, but sales in Japan were affected by the penetration of generic versions. In the Medical Devices business, sales of hemodialysis dialyzers and catheters stagnated, but efforts were made to shift towards high value-added products and to reduce costs. Page 13 shows the business results of major subsidiaries and regions. At Toray International, sales were strong mainly in the Fibers & Textiles, but affected by the cost increase. At the subsidiaries in Southeast Asia, in the Fibers & Textiles business, demand for the apparel applications and automotive applications in the industrial applications was weak. In the Performance Chemicals business, spread of ABS resins has improved. At the subsidiaries in China, in the Fibers & Textiles business, the apparel applications were steady. In the Performance Chemicals business, the Chemical business was impacted by the worsened market conditions. As for subsidiaries in the Republic of Korea, Fibers & Textiles business saw an increase in operating income due to the effect of structural reforms such as scaling down of unprofitable applications. In the Performance Chemicals business, sales of battery separator film was stagnant. Next, I'd like to explain the consolidated business forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027. Please turn to Page 15. The global economy is expected to continue with a gradual recovery phase. The Japanese economy is also expected to continue with its gradual recovery. However, downside risks remain, including escalating tensions in the Middle East and the resulting rising raw material prices and supply constraints as well as prolonged impacts that may weigh on the global economy. Further, the current economic conditions will be affected by the direction of the U.S. trade and falling policies together with responses from other countries, trends in AI-related demand and slowdown in the Chinese economy. These factors may significantly affect supply chains and trade structures in the medium to long term. For the fiscal year ending March 2027, Toray expects revenue of JPY 2,830 trillion, core operating income of JPY 160 billion and the profit attributable to owners of parent of JPY 90 billion, taking into consideration anticipated business expansion in growth fields and the profit increase through promotion of structural reforms while factoring in the risks associated with the situation in the Middle East. Page 16 shows our semiannual forecast by segment. Revenue and core operating income are expected to increase across all segments, driven by capturing demand expansion in the Fibers & Textiles, Performance Chemicals and Carbon Fiber Composite Materials segment as well as the effects of strategic pricing and profitability improvement projects. Page 17 shows the comparison of core operating income between the actual results for the fiscal year ended March 2026 and forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027 with breakdowns into segments. Page 18 explains the trends in capital expenditures, depreciation and amortization and R&D expenditures. Capital expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 2027 are expected to be JPY 160 billion; depreciation and amortization, JPY 140 billion; and R&D expenditures, JPY 86 billion. Page 19 shows shareholders' return. Toray has maintained a basic policy of stable continuous dividends while providing shareholders' return in line with business performance growth. Under IGNITION 2028, the company will maintain this approach as its foundation while pursuing progressive dividends driven by profit growth as well as flexible share buybacks, taking into account the company's financial position and capital structure. In terms of interim dividend in the fiscal year ending March 2027, Toray expects to pay JPY 13 per share of common stock. This includes a JPY 3 of 100th anniversary commemorative dividend. The company plans JPY 30 of year-end dividend. Consequently, the annual dividend per share for the fiscal year will be JPY 26, an increase of JPY 6 from the previous fiscal year. This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. [Statements in English on this transcript were spoken by an interpreter present on the live call.]