Nippon Light Metal Holdings has raised its earnings guidance and dividend for the second time this year, pointing to the same end-markets it flagged when it last revised its outlook in May.
The Tokyo-listed aluminum group now expects full-year operating profit of ¥33bn for the year to March 2027, up 22.2% from the ¥27bn it projected in May. Ordinary profit guidance rises 24.0% to ¥31bn, and net income attributable to shareholders climbs 3.0% to ¥17bn. Full-year sales guidance is unchanged at ¥690bn.
| Metric | Previous forecast (May 15) | Revised forecast (Aug 3) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | ¥690bn | ¥690bn | Unchanged |
| Operating profit | ¥27bn | ¥33bn | +22.2% |
| Ordinary profit | ¥25bn | ¥31bn | +24.0% |
| Net income (parent) | ¥16.5bn | ¥17bn | +3.0% |
| Annual dividend per share | ¥100 | ¥110 | +¥10 |
The upgrade follows a quarter to June in which operating profit more than doubled to ¥10.6bn and ordinary profit rose 133% to ¥9.9bn. Management attributed the improvement to sales of thick aluminum plates for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which it described as recovering, alongside continued strength in lithium-ion battery plate materials and heat-dissipation foil and powder products. The company said the gain from higher aluminum ingot prices that boosted the first quarter is expected to fade in the second half, and it flagged unspecified instability linked to the Middle East as a lingering uncertainty for the rest of the year.
The board also raised its interim dividend to ¥50 a share from a prior ¥40 forecast, lifting the projected annual payout to ¥110 a share from ¥100.