MOSCOW (MRC) -- The business environment surrounding the Sumitomo Chemical Group was good during the twelve months ended 31 March 2015 (FY14), although there were areas with sluggish market conditions and weak shipment volumes, said the company.
Under these circumstances, the Sumitomo Chemical Group undertook group wide efforts to improve business performance by increasing selling prices and expanding sales volumes, as well as by cutting costs through thorough streamlining. As a result, the group’s sales for FY14 increased by JPY132.9 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, to JPY2,376.7 billion. The group posted operating income of JPY127.3 billion, ordinary income of JPY157.4 billion and net income of JPY52.2 billion, all representing increases from the previous fiscal year.
Market prices for petrochemical products dropped due to lower feedstock prices in the second half of FY14. Market prices for synthetic resins also fell, but shipments from Singapore and Japan increased. The weaker yen had a positive effect on sales from overseas subsidiaries in yen terms. As a result, the segment’s sales increased by JPY14.1 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, to JPY806.2 billion, and operating income grew by JPY16.3 billion, to JPY21.2 billion.
The company decided to pay a year end dividend of JPY3 per share. As a result, the company’s annual dividend for fiscal 2014 was JPY9 per share, including an interim dividend of JPY6 per share, unchanged from the previous fiscal year.
Operating cash flow in FY14 increased by JPY66.5 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, to JPY260.9 billion, due to an increase in income before income taxes and collection of money advanced relating to Petro Rabigh's Rabigh Phase II Project. Cash flow from investing activities was negative JPY56.6 billion, a decrease in cash outflows of JPY78.5 billion compared to the previous fiscal year, due to a decrease in payments for purchase of fixed asset. This resulted in free cash flow of JPY204.2 billion for FY14, compared with JPY59.2 billion for the previous fiscal year. Cash flow from financing activities was negative JPY151.5 billion. The balance of cash and cash equivalents at the end of the fiscal year increased by JPY69.7 billion over the previous year, to JPY202.0 billion.
For FY15, the company forecasts that sales will decrease by 5.3%, to JPY2,250.0 billion, while operating income and ordinary income are projected to be JPY145.0 billion and JPY160.0 billion respectively and net income to be JPY80.0 billion, assuming an exchange rate of JPY115.0/US$ and a naphtha price of JPY47 000/kl.
As MRC informed earlier, Sumitomo Chemical will permanently wind up the operations of an ethylene plant at its Chiba Works in Ichihara, Chiba, in or before September 2015, following a decline in domestic demand for ethylene derivative.
Sumitomo Chemical is a Japanese based manufacturer of a diverse range of products, including basic chemicals, petrochemicals and plastics, fine chemicals, agricultural chemicals, IT-related chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
MRC