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Message from President

President & Representative Director   Masato Izumihara

President & Representative Director

Thank you for visiting the website of UBE Corporation

Since our company was founded as “Anonymous Union Okinoyama Coal Mine Association” in 1897, we have expanded our business into machinery, cement and chemicals, and in 1942, each operating company merged and became “Ube Industries, Ltd.” Now 80 years of history stands behind this name.

However, due to the accelerating pace of change in the business environment, sustainable growth will be difficult unless each business autonomously and flexibly improves its corporate value according to its characteristics. Under these circumstances, the machinery business and the cement business were spun off, and from April 2022, the chemicals business is the core business of our company. To further promote globalization and shift from an energy-consumption heavy business structure to a specialty business that contributes to solving global environmental issues, the company name was changed to “UBE Corporation” (with each letter pronounced: U-B-E).

Under the banner of the new company name, the UBE Group will constantly take on the challenge of change, provide solutions to various social issues through manufacturing, and contribute to the formation of a sustainable society.

We look forward to your continued support in the future.

For more details of the new medium-term management plan called "UBE Vision 2030 Transformation — 1st Stage" ,please click here (PDF:3.45MB).

Fiscal 2022 Earnings Results

Overview

During the current term, net sales of the Company Group decreased: although sales in the Specialty Products Segment remained stable and sales prices in the Polymers & Chemicals Segment rose thanks to strong market prices, the transformation of cement-related business to an equity-method affiliate significantly affected the overall performance.
Operating profit decreased, because price rising of raw materials and fuel as well as a decrease in sales volume resulted from weak demand had a significant negative impact in the Polymers & Chemicals Segment, in addition to the biennial inspection of the ammonia product factory.
The Company Group reported ordinary loss, because share of profit of entities accounted for using equity method declined significantly due to a strong impact that sharp price rising of coal had on the cement-related business, which had transformed to an equity-method affiliate.
Loss attributable to owners of parent was reported despite gain on change in equity for the reason of the separation of the cement-related business, because ordinary loss significantly affected the overall performance.
As a result, the Company Group reports its consolidated results during the current term as follows:

(Billions of yen)
Item Net sales Operating profit Ordinary profit Profit attributable to
owners of parent
April 2022 – March 2023(1) 494.7 16.3 (8.7) (7.0)
April 2021 – March 2022(2) 655.3 44.0 41.5 24.5
Difference(1)-(2) (160.5) (27.7) (50.2) (31.5)
Percentage change (24.5)% (63.0)% - -

Overview by Segment

Net sales

(Billions of yen)
Segment April 2022 –
March 2023(1)
April 2021 –
March 2022(2)
Difference(1)-(2) Percentage
change
Specialty Products 62.2 60.8 1.4 2.3%
Polymers & Chemicals 293.4 260.0 33.3 12.8%
Machinery 96.9 97.0 (0.1) (0.1)%
Others 73.1 54.2 18.9 34.8%
Adjustment (30.8) 183.2 (214.0) -
Total 494.7 655.3 (160.5) (24.5)%

Operating profit

(Billions of yen)
Segment April 2022 –
March 2023(1)
April 2021 –
March 2022(2)
Difference(1)-(2) Percentage
change
Specialty Products 10.5 11.6 (1.2) (10.0)%
Polymers & Chemicals 2.4 23.5 (21.1) (89.7)%
Machinery 5.2 5.1 0.1 1.7%
Others 2.6 3.5 (0.9) (25.5)%
Adjustment (4.5) 0.2 (4.7) -
Total 16.3 44.0 (27.7) (63.0)%

* Adjustment includes corporate expenses (general expenses that are not distributed to each reportable segment) and internal transactions between the segments.
* Adjustment in the previous period includes the figures of the cement-related business that had been separated and transferred to Mitsubishi UBE Cement Group.

Specialty Products – Increase in net sales and decrease in operating profit

The Polyimide Business recorded a net sales decrease because of negative impact of inventory adjustments of the COF films for displays, although sales of varnish used on organic EL panels remained stable.
The Separation Membrane Business recorded an increase in net sales thanks to the continued stable demand for its products, particularly those relating to biogas.
The Ceramics Business recorded an increase in net sales thanks to strong demand for bearing and the products used on substrates.
The Separators Business recorded a decrease in net sales due to the negative impact of production reduction in the automobile industry that was mainly resulted from shortage of semiconductors.
The Specialty Products Segment as a whole recorded an increase in net sales and a decrease in operating profit: while demand for separation membranes and ceramics remained strong, the performance of the Polyimide Film Business was affected by inventory adjustment, and the Separators Business was negatively influenced by production reduction in the automobile industry.

Polymers & Chemicals – Increase in net sales and decrease in operating profit

  • Performance Polymers & Chemicals Business
    The Composites Business recorded a sales increase despite affected by the production reduction in the automobile industry, because of sales price rising supported by price increases in raw materials such as caprolactam.
    Net sales of the Nylon Polymer Business were almost same with the previous fiscal year despite sales price increases mainly resulted from rising market price of caprolactam, because demand for products such as nylon film for food packaging was weak.
    The Caprolactam & Ammonium Sulfate Business recorded a net sales increase because of a higher selling price resulted from higher market prices for raw materials such as benzene and ammonium.
    The Industrial Chemicals Business recorded a net sales increase although a decrease in shipment volume resulted from the biennial inspection of the ammonia product factory, sales price of the products rose thanks to higher market prices of raw materials.
    The Fine Chemicals Business recorded a sales increase, because sales prices rose due to rising prices of raw materials with market conditions.
  • The Elastomer Business recorded an increase in net sales, because the product prices rose thanks to higher market prices of raw materials such as butadiene.
  • As a whole, net sales increased, but operating profit decreased in the Polymers & Chemicals Segment: while sales prices rose, rising of raw materials and fuel prices as well as a decrease in sales volume resulted from weak demand had a significant negative impact, in addition to the biennial inspection of the ammonia product factory.

Machinery – Decrease in net sales and increase in operating profit

The Molding Machine Business recorded an increase in net sales, because sales increased as demand from the automobile industry recovered.
The Industrial Machines Business recorded a decrease in net sales, because a series of big projects to supply conveyors used in the electric power industry were completed.
The Steel Products Business recorded an increase in net sales due to rising product prices mainly resulted from price rising of raw materials.
In the Machinery Segment, both net sales and operating profit were almost same with the previous fiscal year as a whole, because a decrease in net sales of the Industrial Machines Business was offset mainly by a sales increase of the molding machines and sales price rising of the steel products.

Others – Increase in net sales and decrease in operating profit

The Pharmaceutical Business recorded a net sales increase despite a decrease in royalty revenues, mainly because of positive impact by acquisition of a Contract Drag Development and Manufacturing Organization (API Corporation) in December 2022.
The Power Producer Business recorded an increase in net sales, because power supply to the Cement-Related Business was recorded as gained sales and the prices also rose.
The Others Segment as a whole recorded an increase in net sales and a decrease in operating profit: although some factors such as a price rise of sold electric power contributed to the overall performance, a decrease in royalty revenues of the Pharmaceutical Business had a great negative impact on the overall segment.

Cement-Related Business (Equity-Method Affiliate “Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation”)

While the demand for cement was in a trend of gradual decrease in the domestic market, sales volume of the Company Group remained at the same level with the previous fiscal year.
On the other hand, the business was heavily affected by rising of energy prices including coal price. Demand for cement and ready-mixed concrete in the overseas market (North America) continued to be strong.