On February 5, 2021 Kureha Corporation reported that FY2020 3Q Results (Press release, Kureha Corporation, FEB 5, 2021, View Source [SID1234574710])
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I. Highlights
FY2020 3Q results (year-on-year analysis)
• Delivered core operating profit of ¥14.6bn (+12.1%, ¥1.6bn) driven by PVDF (LiB binder applications), agrochemicals, home products, fishing lines and environmental businesses; lower fuel and raw materials cost; and fewer SG&A expenses • Operating profit decreased to ¥14.6bn (-43.5%, ¥11.2bn) for the absence of other income such as a gain from land sales
✓ Limited impact of the coronavirus pandemic on sales and production operations
✓ Advanced Materials: continued demand for PVDF in automotive LiB binder applications in EU and China; PGA frac plug volumes improved with new flexible prices while shale fracking activities gradually returned with crude oil prices going over $50/bbl
✓ Specialty Plastics: continued robust sales of home products and fishing lines; slower demand for multilayer shrink film in EU; negative effects of business divestment related to blow bottles
FY2020 full-year outlook
• Upgraded FY2020 guidance based on higher sales volumes expected in Advanced Materials and environmental businesses and less-than-expected SG&A expenses Current guidance Previous guidance ChII. FY2020 3Q Results (Period April 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020) Revenue improved primarily due to higher sales volumes in Other Operations, partially offset by Specialty Plastics
• Core operating profit grew in all segments except Advanced Materials
• Operating profit decreased due largely to fewer non-operating income such as a gain from land sales
• Profit attributable to the Company decreased as a result of lower operating profit and lower profit before taxesAM: Lower profit led by PPS, PGA and carbon products, partially offset by improved PVDF performance SC: Higher profit driven by agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals despite a decline in industrial chemicals SP: Higher profit driven by home products and fishing lines despite a decline in packaging materials CO: Profit even with prior year due to project cancellations/postponements in private sector offsetting higher civil engineering volumes OO: Higher profit driven by volume growth related to low-level PCB waste treatment and 2019 typhoon disaster wastes in Fukushima in the environmental engineering business Revenue Operating profit Segment results FAdvanced plastics PPS: Profit declined on lower sales volumes for automobile applications and lower equity income in affiliates PVDF: Higher profit driven by volume growth for LiB binder applications, partially offset by declines in other applications PGA: Profit down due to declined sales of frac plugs and stock shapes, although shale drilling activities gradually returned in 3Q Carbon products Lower profit led by slower carbon fiber sales for automobile and furnace insulation applications Other Profit improved on higher adhesive volumesVs.
FY2019 3Q Revenue Operating Profit 9 Agrochemicals Higher profit driven by fungicides volume growth Pharmaceuticals Profit improved on lower expenses, despite sales negatively affected by mandatory drug price revisions Industrial chemicals Profit down due to slower demand for organic and inorganic chemicals amid COVID-related slumpVs.
FY2019 3Q Revenue Operating Profit 10 Home products / Fiber products Profit growth driven by higher home products and ‘Seaguar’ fishing lines volumes Packaging materials Sales and profit declined due to slower demand for heat-shrink multilayer film for meat packaging in EU under the pandemic, coupled with negative effects of the blowbottle business divested in prior yearConstruction Revenue declined and profit remained on par with prior year as higher civil engineering sales volumes offset the cancellation and postponement of privatesector construction Environmental engineering Profit increased on higher volumes of lowlevel PCB wastes and 2019 typhoonrelated disaster wastes in Fukushima Logistics Revenue and profit remained at prior year’s levels Hospital operations Revenue and profit decreasedIII.
FY2020 Full-Year Outlook (Period April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021)Revenue expected to decrease due to:-Slower demand for PGA in the shale market-Effects of the bottle business divestment-Slower demand for industrial chemicals partly offset by-Higher PVDF volume for LiB binder applications-Sales expansion in the environmental business
• Core operating profit to increase on volume growth of value-added products such as PVDF and environmental services, partially offset by declines in PGA, packaging materials and industrial chemicals
• Operating profit to decline primarily due to the absence of other income such as a gain from land sales
• Profit before taxes to decrease on lower operating profit
• Profit attributable to the Company to decrease on lower profit before taxesFactors attributing to operating profit (vs. FY2019) Advanced Materials Specialty Chemicals Specialty Plastics Construction Other Operations Advanced Materials Specialty Chemicals Specialty Plastics Construction Other Operations (in billions of yen) AM: Operating loss for PGA, partially offset by higher PVDF volume SC: Improved demand for agrochemicals after prior year’s inventory adjustments SP: Higher fishing line sales volume offset by volume declines in packaging materials CO: Fewer high-margin projects, intensified market competition OO: Higher treatment volumes related to low-level PCB wastes and Fukushima’s typhoon disaster wastesFactors attributing to operating profit (vs. previous guidance) Advanced Materials Specialty Chemicals Specialty Plastics Construction Other Operations Advanced Materials Specialty Chemicals Specialty Plastics Construction Other Operations (in billions of yen) AM: Higher PVDF volumes for automotive LiB binder applications; no change for PGA SC: (No change) SP: Improved product mix for home products and lower expenses CO: (No change) OO: Higher treatment volumes of low-level PCB wastes and Fukushima typhoon disaster wastesIV. SupplementaryShale oil and gas production decreased sharply during 2020, but drilling and fracking operations are gradually returning in key markets
• Kureha’s sales expansion strategy:-Increase sales volumes of PGA frac plugs by offering flexible prices in mid-and hightemperature well areas-Introduce and expand sales of non-PGA dissolvable frac plugs in extremely low temperature areas (currently under field trials)
• Kureha maintains a roughly 40% share in the automotive LiB cathode binder market; supplies to major South Korean and Chinese lithium-ion battery (LiB) makers
• After COVID-related disruption for LiB production in early 2020, the market is rapidly recovering on the back of tighter environmental regulations and economic stimulus policies
• Kureha’s China plant started production and shipment of specialty binder grade of PVDF in May 2020
• Studies for a new PVDF plant under review (delayed due to the pandemic):-To be located in China-Outlines of the new plant to be announced by Spring 2021-Will start commercial production in FY2024These materials are supplied to provide a deeper understanding of our company, and are not intended to as a solicitation for investment or other actions.
• These materials have been prepared by our company based on the information available at this point in time. However, actual performance may produce results that differ from the plan due to unforeseeable events and factors.
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