Hello, everyone. This is Yoshida, CFO of Mitsui Chemicals. Thank you very much for joining in our earnings announcement today. Today, we announced our financial results for the first half of fiscal year 2025 and our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025. Now, I will explain based on the materials provided. Please see page one. This page summarizes key takeaways from our first-half earnings announcement. Sales in the specialty chemicals domains have been firm, contributing to solid progress in operating income before special items. The operating income before special items for the first half of fiscal year 2025 stood at JPY 44.5 billion, with a full-year forecast of JPY 110.0 billion.
Regarding business restructuring, we recorded losses in non-recurring items due to impairment losses following the transfer of our equity interest in the phenol business in China, as well as losses on related businesses by advancing structural reforms in the specialty chemicals domains. As a result, net income attributable to owners of the parent was JPY 7.8 billion in the first half and is expected to be JPY 55.0 billion for the full year. Regarding the impact of U.S. trade policies, we expect a loss of approximately JPY 4.0 billion for the full year, as the mobility solution segment saw a decrease in automobile production volume in North America, among other factors. This loss is smaller than our initial estimate of approximately JPY 8.0 billion.
We will continue to closely monitor the indirect impact on demand, including the effect of pull-in of demand, and work to minimize its impact on profit through cost reductions and other measures. Regarding the gas leakage at Omuta Works, we would like to express our sincere apologies for the concern and inconvenience caused by this incident. Due to the suspension of production at some of its plants, we incurred a loss of approximately JPY 2.0 billion-JPY 2.5 billion in the first half, mainly in life and healthcare solutions. From the second half onwards, we will ramp up production to minimize the impact. In addition, we announced today to conduct a two-for-one stock split with December 31st, 2025 as the record date. The split is intended to further expand our investor base. Please see page two.
Operating income before special items for the first half decreased to JPY 44.5 billion, down JPY 8.3 billion, or 16% compared to the same period of the previous year, primarily due to inventory valuation losses from lower naphtha prices in basic and green materials and major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works. In the specialty chemicals domains, operating income before special items rose to JPY 56.8 billion, up JPY 0.3 billion year-on-year, as sales volumes remained generally firm, mainly in life and healthcare solutions and ICT solutions, despite losses from yen appreciation and the production suspension at Omuta Works. Please see page three. Regarding the outlook for fiscal year 2025, the operating income before special items for the entire group is expected to be JPY 110.0 billion, an increase of 9% or JPY 9.0 billion, compared to the previous year, which remains unchanged from our previous outlook announced in May.
In the specialty chemicals domains, we expect operating income before special items to increase by JPY 8.1 billion year-on-year to JPY 124.0 billion, mainly due to sales volume growth as in the first half. The situation surrounding basic and green materials remains challenging, as we anticipate an operating loss before special items of JPY 7.0 billion for the full year. However, we expect an improvement of JPY 4.4 billion from the previous year, due to the benefits from business restructuring and the elimination of the negative impact of the Osaka Ethylene plant failure in fiscal year 2024, which are expected to more than offset negative factors such as inventory valuation losses from lower naphtha prices, major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, and low facility operating rates.
From our previous forecast on May 13, the full-year operating income before special items for basic and green materials has been revised downward by JPY 8.5 billion due to low facility operating rates and deteriorating market conditions. On the other hand, operating income before special items in the specialty chemicals domains has been revised upward by JPY 2.0 billion for the full year, driven mainly by steady sales in line with our expectations and the impact of yen depreciation. In addition, the negative impact of U.S. trade policies is expected to be smaller than our initial estimate. As a result, the full-year forecast for the entire group remains unchanged. With regard to the stock split, as I mentioned earlier, we will conduct a two-for-one split, thereby lowering the investment unit price of our company's shares and creating a more affordable investment environment for investors.
The stock split will be carried out with December 31st, 2025 as the record date and be effective on January 1st, 2026. For details, please refer to the timely disclosure document released today. Starting from fiscal year 2025, we have revised the segment to which the non-wovens business belongs from life and healthcare solutions to ICT solutions, as well as that of certain other affiliates from mobility solutions to ICT solutions. Additionally, the segments for fiscal year 2024 are disclosed based on the reportable segment classifications after the revisions. Please see page six. This section describes trends in the major markets related to our business during the first and second halves of fiscal year 2025. First of all, the market environment for ophthalmic lens materials in relation to life and healthcare solutions remains firm in both the first half and second half of the year.
In relation to the agrochemicals market, although there still remain the effects of inventory adjustments in some regions, demand continues to remain firm mainly in the Japanese market in the first half. We also expect a similar trend in the second half. There has been no significant change from the beginning of the period. Next is the outlook for global automobile production volume related to mobility solutions. We had expected automobile production volume to decline by approximately 3 million units from 90 million in May due to uncertainty stemming from U.S. trade policies. However, production has gradually recovered since then, and the current outlook is now at a level comparable to last year. That said, regional variations remain. The North American market is weakening due to the impact of U.S. trade policies, and we expect this situation to continue into the second half.
Next is the state of the semiconductor and smartphone markets related to ICT solutions. In the semiconductor market, in addition to increased demand in cutting-edge sectors such as AI and data centers, demand is also recovering in other applications such as consumer, industrial, and automotive uses. On the other hand, in the smartphone market, despite the trend towards more sophisticated functionality, demand is expected to remain at the same level as the previous year. As for basic and green materials, operating rates are expected to remain low due to the continued unfavorable supply-demand environment in fiscal year 2025 and the impact of major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works. The operating rate has declined since the beginning of the period. Please see page seven. This is about the status of our major investment projects.
The items in yellow are projects that start commercial operation or undergo optimization and restructuring from fiscal year 2025. Those in blue are projects for which decisions were made in this fiscal year. All projects are progressing smoothly. As part of our optimization and restructuring initiatives, in addition to the transfer of our equity interest in the phenol business in China, we have also decided to shut down the phenol plant at Ichihara Works ahead of schedule in October 2025, instead of the originally planned fiscal year 2026. We will continue to actively pursue these efforts with a strong sense of urgency. Furthermore, we announced the integration of our domestic polyolefin business in September. We will steadily advance toward a resilient basic and green materials business. Please see page eight. This is the summary of our financial results for the first half of fiscal year 2025.
Sales revenue for the April to September period of fiscal year 2025 was JPY 813.6 billion, a decrease of JPY 76.8 billion, or 9% compared to the same period of the previous year. Operating income before special items was JPY 44.5 billion, a decrease of JPY 8.3 billion, or 16% year-on-year. Net income attributable to owners of the parent was JPY 7.8 billion, a decrease of JPY 14.4 billion year-on-year, due to losses in non-recurring items associated with business restructuring. The exchange rate was JPY 146 to the dollar, representing an appreciation of JPY 7 year-on-year. The domestic naphtha price per kiloliter was JPY 64,750, a decrease of JPY 13,200 year-on-year, reflecting a lower raw material price trend. Please see page nine. This is the summary of a year-on-year comparison about operating income before special items in the first half of fiscal year 2025.
In terms of volume, sales increased for vision care and agrochemicals primarily due to firm domestic demand. Sales of elastomers increased as we expanded into multiple applications in growth markets, and sales of semiconductor-related products increased due to demand growth in cutting-edge areas and overall market recovery. Terms of trade showed a temporary improvement due to price revisions in PP compounds, but overall were negative due to foreign exchange losses from yen appreciation, inventory valuation losses from declining raw material prices, and deteriorated energy efficiency resulting from low operating rates of crackers and derivatives. Fixed costs and others increased due to repair and maintenance costs, but improvements in equity in earnings and the effects of business restructuring contributed positively to overall operating income before special items.
Looking at the results by factor within the JPY 8.3 billion decrease in operating income before special items compared to the same period of the previous year, the volume difference was plus JPY 4.6 billion, terms of trade were minus JPY 13.5 billion, and fixed costs and others were plus JPY 0.6 billion. Please see page ten. This is sales revenue and operating income before special items by segment. In the specialty chemicals domains, the return on sales, or ROS, continues to exceed 11%, and we will continue to work towards expanding profits and improving profit margins. The following pages provide a detailed explanation of the increase or decrease factors for each segment. Please see page 11. Life and healthcare solutions reported operating income before special items of JPY 13.0 billion for the current period, a decrease of JPY 2.3 billion compared to the same period last year.
The volume difference is positive JPY 0.7 billion. This is mainly due to the steady demand for vision care and firm sales of agrochemicals, particularly in the domestic market. Terms of trade worsened by JPY 1.4 billion due to the impact of losses from yen appreciation on agrochemicals. Fixed costs and others worsened by approximately JPY 2.0 billion due to the production suspension at Omuta Works. Please see page 12. In mobility solutions, operating income before special items for the current period was JPY 26.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 2.4 billion from the same period a year ago. The volume difference was plus JPY 0.4 billion due to the expansion of products into multiple applications in growth markets progressed, despite the negative impact of U.S. trade policies.
Terms of trade worsened by JPY 2.6 billion due to the impact of losses from yen appreciation, despite positive effect from time lag in PP compounds. As for automotive-related materials such as PP compounds and performance compounds, we have secured a reasonable level of profit despite being partially impacted by U.S. trade policies, thanks partly to improved terms of trade. In addition, in the solutions business, we will continue to steadily advance business restructuring. Please see page 13. ICT solutions reported operating income before special items of JPY 17.8 billion in the current period, an increase of JPY 5.0 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. The volume difference was plus JPY 4.3 billion, with sales volume of semiconductor and optical materials and ICT films and sheets increasing due to a recovery in semiconductor markets. Coating and engineering materials also performed well, mainly in eco-friendly packaging applications.
Terms of trade were plus JPY 0.5 billion, driven by improvements related to fluctuations in raw material prices for certain products, despite the impact of losses from yen appreciation. Please see page 14. Basic and green materials recorded an operating loss before special items of JPY 10.5 billion for the current period. Although the effects of business restructuring were evident, the impact of inventory valuation losses due to declining raw material prices and worsened energy efficiency resulting from low operating rates led to a JPY 7.9 billion decrease in operating income before special items compared to the same period of previous year. The volume difference was minus JPY 0.8 billion, affected by sluggish demand, including withdrawal of customers from the phenol business.
Terms of trade worsened by JPY 10.0 billion due to inventory valuation losses resulting from fluctuations in raw material prices, the impact of low capacity utilization, and deterioration in market conditions. Fixed costs and others increased due to higher repair and maintenance costs, but thanks to the effects of business restructuring, they improved by JPY 2.9 billion. Please see page 15. This is non-recurring items. Non-recurring items totaled minus JPY 16.6 billion. This represents a deterioration of JPY 9.8 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. In addition to impairment losses of JPY 12.5 billion following the transfer of our equity interest in the phenol business joint venture in China, we recorded losses in related business of JPY 2.2 billion resulting from our ongoing structural reforms in the specialty chemicals domains.
The total impact of this equity interest transfer for the full year is projected to be a loss of approximately JPY 8.0 billion, as a realized gain of approximately JPY 4.5 billion is expected in the second half of fiscal year 2025 from translation adjustment related to the sale of the phenol business. Please see page 16. This is the consolidated statement of financial position. Total assets were JPY 2,100.2 billion, down JPY 53.8 billion from the end of March 2025, primarily due to a reduction in accounts receivable and inventories driven by the impact of lower raw material prices and regular maintenance, as well as business restructuring measures aiming for a light asset structure in the phenol business. Please see page 17. This is the consolidated statement of cash flow. Cash flows from operating activities were positive JPY 127.2 billion.
Compared to the same period of the previous year, we saw improvements mainly in working capital. Cash flows from investing activities were negative JPY 57.6 billion. While we continue to make active investments, we are also progressing with the sale of affiliates as part of our business portfolio transformation. As a result, free cash flows were JPY 69.6 billion. We allocate this toward dividends and the repayment of interest-bearing liabilities, ensuring balanced cash management. Next, I will explain the overview of our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025. Please see page 19. This is the highlights of consolidated financial outlook. Regarding the outlook for performance, we expect sales revenue to be JPY 1,700.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 109.2 billion compared to the previous year due to the impact of the stronger yen and raw material prices.
Operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 110.0 billion, an increase of JPY 9.0 billion year-on-year. Net income attributable to owners of the parent is expected to be JPY 55.0 billion, an increase of JPY 22.8 billion year-on-year. The exchange rate for the year is expected to be JPY 147, an appreciation of JPY 6 from the previous year. The domestic naphtha price is expected to be JPY 64,900 per kiloliter, a decrease of JPY 10,700 year-on-year. The annual dividend outlook is JPY 150 per share and, as mentioned above, although there will be a stock split, the total dividend amount remains unchanged. Please see page 20. This page shows changes in our full year outlook for operating income before special items from our initial forecast in May.
As mentioned at the beginning, the operating income before special items forecast for the entire group remains unchanged at JPY 110.0 billion. The forecast for life and healthcare solutions remains unchanged. While there is a positive foreign exchange impact, this is offset by the negative impact from the production suspension at Omuta Works. The forecast for mobility solutions remains unchanged, with a positive foreign exchange impact being offset by the negative impact of U.S. trade policies. In ICT solutions, profits are expected to increase by JPY 2.0 billion due to sales continuing to be solid and the benefits from foreign exchange factors. The forecast for the specialty chemicals domains combined is JPY 124.0 billion.
Meanwhile, basic and green materials has revised its outlook downward from initial expectations, reflecting decreased operating rates and market deterioration, planning for a profit decline of JPY 8.5 billion, resulting in a deficit of JPY 7.0 billion. Please see page 21. This is the summary of our outlook of operating income before special items for the fiscal year 2025. As with the first half financial results from the previous year, we expect the volume to steadily increase due to the increase in sales volume in the specialty chemicals domains. On the other hand, terms of trade are expected to be negative due to the impact of yen appreciation, inventory valuation losses in basic and green materials, deterioration of energy efficiency due to low operating rates of crackers and derivatives, as well as worsening market conditions. We do not project fixed costs and others to significantly impact profit.
While we anticipate an increase in fixed costs due to major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, we expect this to be offset by the positive effects from improvement in equity in earnings and business restructuring. Consequently, of the projected increase in profit of JPY 9.0 billion compared to the previous year, JPY 8.1 billion is attributable to profit improvements in the specialty chemicals domains. By factor, we anticipate a positive impact of JPY 19.0 billion from volume differences and a negative impact of JPY 9.5 billion in terms of trade. The explanation is not significantly different from the financial results for the first half, so I will omit the details. I would like to mention that the specialty chemicals domains continue to maintain a profit margin in the 11% range, and we will strive for further growth. Please see page 22.
This is our outlook for sales revenue and operating income before special items by segment. The following pages will provide an explanation of the factors behind the increase or decrease in each segment. The explanation is not significantly different from the financial results, so I will omit the details. Please see page 23. Life and healthcare solutions operating income before special items has been steadily growing since fiscal year 2021, showing an approximate 20% growth per year in CAGR. Operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 35.5 billion, an increase of JPY 1.4 billion from the previous year. Volume difference is positive JPY 5.0 billion. We expect sales volumes to increase steadily, primarily in vision care and agrochemicals. Terms of trade are expected to be negative JPY 1.0 billion due to yen appreciation.
As for fixed costs and others, we are making progress in business restructuring in oral care. However, the impact of the production suspension at Omuta Works and other factors resulted in a - JPY 2.6 billion. Please see page 24. Mobility solutions operating income before special items experienced a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in fiscal year 2020. However, it has steadily recovered since then, showing an approximate 10% growth per year in CAGR. Operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 53.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 2.1 billion from the previous year. Volume difference is expected to be + JPY 6.0 billion, due largely to expanded sales of elastomers. Terms of trade are expected to be - JPY 5.5 billion, mainly due to losses from yen appreciation. As in the first half, we expect some impact from U.S. trade policies in composite materials.
Fixed costs and others have increased due to the operation of new plants. We are also steadily making progress in restructuring, such as rationalizing administrative functions in our solutions business. Please see page 25. Regarding ICT solutions, the semiconductor market experienced a boom around fiscal year 2021 due to the stay-at-home demand brought by the COVID-19 pandemic but has since entered a prolonged adjustment phase. However, the recovery trend began around last year, and this trend has accelerated in the first half of this fiscal year, with semiconductor-related materials expected to grow primarily in volume. In particular, among our products for cutting-edge semiconductor markets, pellicles, ICROS tape, and other products are driving growth. Operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 35.5 billion, an increase of JPY 8.8 billion from the previous year.
Volume difference is expected to be + JPY 8.0 billion, as sales volume is expected to increase due to a recovery in demand for semiconductors. Terms of trade are expected to be + JPY 1.0 billion, despite the impact mainly from yen appreciation, with improvements in terms of trade related to fluctuations in raw material prices, among other factors. Fixed costs and others are expected to be - JPY 0.2 billion, due to an increase in fixed costs associated with the operation of new plants for coating and engineering materials. Please see page 26. Basic and green materials is expected to record an operating loss before special items of JPY 7.0 billion.
We have factored in a negative impact of approximately JPY 8.0 billion, arising from inventory valuation losses due to the decline in raw material prices, major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, and worsening energy efficiency caused by low plant operating rates. On the other hand, we expect positive factors such as an improvement of the approximately JPY 10.5 billion loss from last year's ethylene plant failure and benefits from business restructuring. As a result, we expect a JPY 4.4 billion improvement compared to the previous year. Please see page twenty-seven. Next, I will explain the changes from the first half results to the second half forecast by segment. The first half operating income before special items was JPY 44.5 billion, and the second half forecast is JPY 65.5 billion, so we expect an increase of JPY 21.0 billion from the first half to the second half.
We expect an overall increase of JPY 10.4 billion in the specialty chemicals domains, mainly due to increased domestic demand for agrochemicals and the profitability improvements in the oral care business within life and healthcare solutions. We expect basic and green materials to return to profitability in the second half at JPY 3.5 billion due to an improvement of the impact from the major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, benefits from business restructuring, and increased earnings from equity method investments. We are determined to achieve this forecast. Please see page 28. This is the cash flow forecast. Cash flows from operating activities are expected to be + JPY 200.0 billion, while cash flows from investing activities are expected to be - JPY 155.0 billion. As a result, free cash flows are expected to be + JPY 45.0 billion.
As we place strong emphasis on cash generation, we will continue to aim for operating cash flows at the JPY 200.0 billion level or higher by continuing to optimize inventories and increasing our cash generation capabilities. That's all for the explanation about our financial results for the first half of fiscal year 2025 and our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025. Thank you very much for your kind attention.