Investment Bridge Announces Investment Opinion: Bridge Report on ZEON CORPORATION: Strong First Half Earnings Results, Estimates Call for Continued Strong Growth in Full FY3/14 Earnings

Investment Bridge, one of Japan’s leading independent IR services companies, has released a "Bridge Report” on ZEON CORPORATION (TOKYO:4205) reviewing its first half earnings results and full fiscal year March 2014 earnings estimates.

Report Highlights

• Sales and operating income rose by 16.6% and 46.3% year-over-year during the first half of fiscal year March 2014 on the back of the weaker yen and strong sales of optical film used in televisions and smartphones.
• During the full FY3/14, ZEON’s estimates call for sales and operating income to rise by 16.8% and 18.2% year-over-year due to strong growth in sales of all three business segments of elastomer, specialty material, and other businesses in addition to continued strong demand for optical film.
• The Bridge Report highlights ZEON’s efforts to introduce balloon catheters and other innovative products and its activities to expand overseas sales including the impending start of full scale production of S-SBR at a new plant in Singapore.

ZEON CORPORATION is a petrochemical manufacturer that boasts of numerous products with large shares of global markets, including synthetic rubber used in automobile parts and tires, and synthetic latex used in medical gloves. The Company’s strengths include its creative technology development function, research and development structure, and high earnings generation capability.

During the first half of FY3/14, consolidated sales grew by a strong 16.6% year-over-year to JPY148.3 billion on the back of strong growth in sales volumes of optical film to television, smartphone, and other PDA screen applications and translation gains from the weaker yen. These positive factors allowed ZEON to offset weak business conditions in Asia and other overseas markets. At the same time, operating income rose by 46.3% year-over-year to JPY16.7 billion due to increases in sales volumes, the positive impact of foreign exchange, and increased capacity utilization rates resulting from increased demand for optical film.

In the full FY3/14, ZEON estimates call for consolidated sales and operating income to rise by 16.8% and 18.2% year-over-year to JPY293.0 and JPY28.0 billion respectively, which represents the first increase in both sales and profits in three years. All three business segments are expected to see double digit sales growth with the elastomer, specialty material and other businesses expected to rise by 10.0%, 28.2%, and 31.2% year-over-year to JPY180.5, JPY65.9, and JPY49.2 billion respectively. Continued strong demand for optical films and subsequent high capacity utilization rates are expected to contribute to the strong rise in operating income.

The Bridge Report issued by Investment Bridge also calls attention to ZEON’s efforts to introduce innovative and improved products including its balloon catheters, which is expected to capture high market share of 50% in the future. At the same time, the Company’s efforts to expand its overseas sales are noted with attention called to final preparations for full capacity production at the Singapore plant for S-SBR.

To view the full report, please go to the website at the URL listed below.
http://www.bridge-salon.jp/report_bridge/archives/eng/4205/20140109.html

About Bridge Report:
Bridge Report is produced by Investment Bridge Co., Ltd. and provides accurate and objective information about the earnings, business strategies, and other information of publicly traded Japanese companies.