Hello, everyone. This is Yoshida, CFO of Mitsui Chemicals. Thank you very much for joining in our earnings announcement today. Today, we have announced our financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, as well as our forecast for the full year. Now, I will explain based on the materials. Please see page 1. This page summarizes key takeaways from our third quarter earnings announcement. In the Specialty Chemicals Domains , sales have been firm, resulting in operating income before special items of JPY 83.0 billion for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025, and the full-year forecast remains unchanged at JPY 124.0 billion. Regarding the impact of U.S. trade policies, we expect a negative annual impact of approximately JPY 4.0 billion, as Mobility Solutions saw a slowdown in automotive production in North America, among other factors.
As for operating income before special items in Basic & Green Materials, we recorded a loss of JPY 12.8 billion for the April to December period, representing a deterioration compared to the same period of the previous year due to deteriorating market conditions and continued low operating rates, mainly at crackers, stemming from weaker demand for derivatives. We expect a loss of JPY 15.0 billion for the full year, which is below our previous forecast. Our forecast for operating income before special items for fiscal year 2025 is revised downward to JPY 103.0 billion. While the forecast for the Specialty Chemicals Domains remains unchanged from our previous outlook, as I mentioned earlier, this reflects the weaker outlook for Basic & Green Materials. Accordingly, net income attributable to owners of the parent is also revised downward to JPY 42.0 billion.
Regarding shareholder returns, we plan to repurchase JPY 30.0 billion of our own shares. In addition, upon completion of the repurchase, we plan to cancel treasury shares so that the number of treasury shares we hold at that time will be approximately 5% of the total number of shares in issue. Please see page 2. Operating income before special items decreased to JPY 68.0 billion for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025, down JPY 7.8 billion or 10% compared to the same period of the previous year. While ICT Solutions saw profit growth driven by firm sales, this was outweighed by negative factors, including inventory valuation losses reflecting lower naphtha prices, major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, and lower facility operating rates in Basic & Green Materials.
In the Specialty Chemicals Domains, operating income before special items declined to JPY 83.0 billion, down JPY 1.8 billion year-on-year. Although sales volume in ICT Solutions was firm, this was more than offset by sales schedule changes in overseas agrochemicals, decreased sales volume in Mobility Solutions associated with U.S. trade policies, semiconductor supply shortage, and an aluminum plant fire in the U.S., as well as losses from yen appreciation. Please see page 3. Regarding the outlook for fiscal year 2025, we expect the operating income before special items for the entire group to be JPY 103.0 billion, an increase of 2% or JPY 2.0 billion compared to the previous year, which is down JPY 7.0 billion from our previous outlook announced on November 11th.
In the Specialty Chemicals domains, operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 124.0 billion or an increase of JPY 8.1 billion year-over-year. This is mainly due to firm sales in Life & Healthcare Solutions in Vision Care and agrochemicals, and sales expansion in ICT Solutions, driven by demand growth in the cutting-edge semiconductor market and overall recovery in semiconductor markets. Basic & Green Materials continues to face a challenging situation, with a full-year forecast of -JPY 15.0 billion, down JPY 3.6 billion year-over-year. This is because negative factors, such as inventory valuation losses due to decline in raw material prices, major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works, and the impact of low operating rates, are expected to more than offset the positive effects of business restructuring. Please see page four.
Regarding shareholder returns, we have decided to repurchase our own shares totaling JPY 30.0 billion and cancel treasury shares to improve capital efficiency and enhance shareholder returns. Through this, we aim to improve our ROE and ultimately our corporate value and price-to-book ratio. There is no change to the dividend outlook, and the full-year dividend per share is expected to be JPY 75 after the stock split. Please see page 6. This section describes the trends in the major markets related to our business in the third and fourth quarters. First of all, the market environment for ophthalmic lens materials in relation to Life & Healthcare Solutions remains firm in both the third and fourth quarters.
In relation to the agrochemicals market, although there still remain the effects of inventory adjustments in some regions, demand continues to remain firm in the second half of the year, primarily in Japan, and we expect this trend to continue. There have been no major changes since our previous announcement on November 11th. Next is the outlook for global automobile production volume related to Mobility Solutions. While there has been no significant change in global automobile production volume, there are regional variations. In particular, in North America, automobile production volume has decreased due to the impact of U.S. trade policies, the semiconductor shortage, and an aluminum plant fire. Next is the state of the semiconductor and smartphone markets related to ICT Solutions.
In the semiconductor market, in addition to increased demand in the cutting-edge semiconductor market, such as AI and data centers, demand is also recovering in other applications, such as consumer, industrial, and automotive applications. On the other hand, demand in the smartphone market is expected to remain on par with the previous year, despite the trend towards more sophisticated functionality. As for Basic & Green Materials, operating rates remained low at around 70% in the third quarter and are expected to be around 70%-75% in the fourth quarter due to the continued unfavorable supply-demand environment in fiscal year 2025. We had previously expected the operating rates to recover to around 80% in our November 11 outlook, but they have declined since then. Please see page 7. 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 fiscal year 2025. All projects are progressing smoothly. Since our last announcement, in addition to capacity expansion of MDI, we have decided on a joint project to promote decarbonization and optimization of ethylene production facilities in Western Japan. We will continue to make proactive investments and swiftly pursue restructuring and optimization projects. Please see page 8. This is the summary of our financial results for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025.
Sales revenue for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025 was JPY 1,218.7 billion, a decrease of JPY 120.1 billion, or 9%, compared to the same period of the previous year. Operating income before special items was JPY 68.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 7.8 billion, or 10% year-on-year. Net income attributable to owners of the parent decreased by JPY 15.1 billion, year-on-year, to JPY 22.6 billion, due to losses on non-recurring items associated with business restructuring. The exchange rate was 149 JPY to the US dollar, representing an appreciation of 4 JPY year-on-year. Domestic standard naphtha price per kiloliter was JPY 65,000, a decrease of JPY 11,400 year-on-year, resulting in low raw material prices. Please see page 9.
This is the summary of a year-on-year comparison about operating income before special items in the April to December period of fiscal year 2025. In terms of volume, sales of Vision Care increased due to firm demand, and sales of agrochemicals also increased due to firm demand, mainly in the domestic market. Sales of elastomers increased as we expanded our products into multiple applications in growth markets. Sales of semiconductor applications increased due to demand growth in the cutting-edge semiconductor market and overall recovery of the semiconductor markets. On the other hand, sales of automotive applications decreased due to the decline in automobile production caused by the impact of U.S. trade policies, the semiconductor shortage, and an aluminum plant fire in the U.S. Terms of trade were negative overall.
While price revisions in PP compounds provided a temporary improvement, this was outweighed by losses from yen appreciation, inventory valuation losses due to decline in raw material prices, and decreased energy efficiency due to low operating rates of crackers and derivatives. Fixed costs and others contributed positively to overall operating income before special items, as the positive effects from improvement in equity in earnings , and business restructuring more than offset higher repair and maintenance costs. Looking at the results by factor, within the JPY 7.8 billion decrease in operating income before special items compared to the same period of the previous year, the volume difference was +JPY 2.2 billion. Terms of trade were -JPY 12.2 billion, and fixed costs and others were +JPY 2.2 billion. Please see page 10. Sales revenue and operating income before special items by segment.
The return on sales, or ROS, in the Specialty Chemicals Domains has remained at a level close to 11%. We will continue working to expand profits and, consequently, improve profit margins. The following pages provide a detailed explanation of the increase or decrease factors for each segment. Please see page 11. Life & Healthcare Solutions reported operating income before special items of JPY 17.0 billion in the April to December period of fiscal year 2025, a decrease of JPY 3.5 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. The volume difference was plus JPY 0.8 billion, mainly due to firm demand of Vision Care and firm sales of agrochemicals, mainly in the domestic market. This includes some impact from changes in sales schedule of overseas agrochemicals from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.
Terms of trade worsened by JPY 2.0 billion due to the impact of losses from yen appreciation on agrochemicals. Fixed costs and others worsened by JPY 2.3 billion due to the impact of gas leakage at Omuta Works. Please see page 12. Mobility Solutions reported operating income before special items of JPY 37.5 billion in the April to December period, a decrease of JPY 5.7 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. Volume difference was -JPY 2.7 billion, with sales declining due to a decrease in automobile production volume resulting from the impact of U.S. trade policies.... Terms of trade worsened by JPY 3.1 billion due to the impact of losses from yen appreciation, despite positive effects from time lag in PP compounds. Please see page 13.
ICT Solutions reported operating income before special items of JPY 28.5 billion in the April to December period, an increase of JPY 7.4 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. Volume difference was +JPY 5.0 billion, with sales volume increasing due to the demand growth in the cutting-edge semiconductor market and overall recovery of the semiconductor market in Semiconductor and Optical Materials and ICT Films and Sheets . Terms of trade were +JPY 1.4 billion, driven by an improvement related to fluctuations in raw material prices for some products, despite the impact of losses from yen appreciation. Please see page 14. Basic & Green Materials reported an operating loss before special items of JPY 12.8 billion in the April to December period, or a JPY 5.5 billion decrease in profit year-on-year.
Although the positive effects of business restructuring were seen, these were outweighed by the impact of inventory valuation losses from lower raw material prices and decreased energy efficiency due to low operating rates. The volume difference was JPY -0.9 billion, affected by sluggish demand. Terms of trade worsened by JPY 8.5 billion due to inventory valuation losses resulting from fluctuations in raw material prices, the impact of low operating rates, and worsening market conditions. Fixed costs and others had a net positive impact of JPY 3.9 billion, as the benefits from business restructuring more than offset higher repair and maintenance costs. Please see page 15. This is the year-on-year comparison for the third quarter by segment.
Operating Income Before Special Items for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 increased by JPY 0.5 billion compared to the same period of the previous year. In the Specialty Chemicals Domains, ICT Solutions reported an increase in profits, but Life & Healthcare Solutions reported a decrease in profits, mainly due to changes in sales schedule of overseas agrochemicals from the third quarter to the fourth quarter, and Mobility Solutions also reported a decrease in profits due to a decrease in automobile production. Basic & Green Materials saw an improvement, although still in the red, thanks to the effect of business restructuring. Please see page 16. This is non-recurring items. Non-recurring items totaled -JPY 13.4 billion. This represents a deterioration of JPY 4.5 billion compared to the same period of the previous year.
In addition to the impairment losses of JPY 7.9 billion following the transfer of our equity interest of the Phenol business joint venture in China, we recorded losses of JPY 2.9 billion in related business by advancing structural reforms in the Specialty Chemicals domains. Please see page 17. This is the consolidated statement of financial position. Total assets were JPY 2,209.1 billion, up JPY 55.1 billion compared to the end of March 2025, mainly as a result of increased assets associated with a major regular maintenance at Ichihara Works. Despite reductions in accounts receivable, mainly due to fluctuations in raw material prices and decreases in assets resulting from measures to make the Phenol business in China asset light. Please see page 18. This is the consolidated statement of cash flows.
Cash flows from operating activities were +JPY 141.0 billion, in line with the same period of the previous year, largely due to improvements in working capital. Cash flows from investing activities were -JPY 97.0 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 44.0 billion. We manage our cash balance by using this to provide returns and repay interest-bearing debt. Next, I will explain the overview of our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025. Please see page 20. This is the highlights of consolidated financial outlook.
Sales revenue of fiscal year 2025 is expected to be JPY 1,675.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 134.2 billion from the previous year due to the impact of yen appreciation and raw material prices. Operating income before special items is expected to be JPY 103.0 billion, an increase of JPY 2.0 billion year-on-year, and net income attributable to owners of the parent is expected to be JPY 42.0 billion, an increase of JPY 9.8 billion year-on-year. The exchange rate for the full year is expected to be 150 yen to the dollar, an appreciation of 3 yen from the previous year.
The domestic naphtha price per kiloliter is projected to be JPY 65,000, representing a decrease of JPY 10,600 compared to the previous year. The dividend outlook for the full year is JPY 75 per share. We conducted a stock split in January 2026, but the total dividend amount remains unchanged. Please see page 21. This is the summary of our outlook of operating income before special items for the fiscal year. As with the results for the April to December period, we expect sales volume to steadily increase from the previous year due to increased 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, and a decline in energy efficiency due to low operating rates of crackers and derivatives, as well as worsening market conditions in Basic & Green Materials. We do not project fixed costs and others to significantly impact profit for the year. 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. As a result of the JPY 2.0 billion increase in Operating Income Before Special Items compared to the previous year, the improvement in the Specialty Chemicals Domains is expected to be JPY 8.1 billion.
Looking at each factor, we expect a positive volume difference of JPY 9.5 billion and a negative terms of trade impact of JPY 9.0 billion. The explanation is not significantly different from the financial results for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025, so I will omit the details, but the Specialty Chemicals Domains continue to maintain a profit margin of around 11%, and we will strive to further expand it. Please see page 22. This page outlines temporary factors and restructuring benefits in Basic & Green Materials in fiscal year 2025. First, please take a look at the restructuring benefits hatched in yellow. We have implemented 3 restructuring measures this fiscal year.
Benefits from the restructuring have steadily materialized from the second quarter onward, improving losses from the three businesses, which were approximately JPY 3.0 billion in the first quarter before the restructuring. Next, items hatched in gray are temporary factors for this fiscal year. The losses from these temporary factors total between JPY 6.5 billion and JPY 7.0 billion. In fiscal year 2026, we aim to return to profitability by realizing improvements from temporary factors and the full benefits of restructuring, as well as price increases, rationalization, and the integration of polyolefins business. Furthermore, to thoroughly prevent plant incidents, we, as a group, will return to the fundamentals of safety first and make every effort to avoid recurrence and further strengthen safety awareness among all employees. Please see page 23. 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 for the April to December period of fiscal year 2025, so I will omit the details. Please see page 24. Life & 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 in fiscal year 2025 is expected to be JPY 35.5 billion, an increase of JPY 1.4 billion compared to the previous year. Volume difference is expected to be positive JPY 5.0 billion, mainly due to a steady increase in the sales volume of Vision Care and agrochemicals.
Terms of trade are expected to be JPY -1.0 billion due to yen appreciation. Fixed costs and others are expected to be JPY -2.6 billion due to the impact of gas leakage at Omuta Works and other factors, although we are making progress in business restructuring in Oral Care . Please see page 25. 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 in fiscal year 2025 is expected to be JPY 53.0 billion, a decrease of JPY 2.1 billion compared to the previous year.
Volume difference is expected to be -JPY 1.5 billion for this fiscal year due to factors such as a decrease in automobile production volume caused by the impact of U.S. trade policies in North America. Terms of trade are expected to be -JPY 2.0 billion due to losses from yen appreciation, despite an improvement resulting from sales price revision, reflecting fluctuations in raw material prices. Please see page 26. 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 accelerated in the first half of this year, with semiconductor-related materials expected to show growth for the year.
In particular, pellicles and ICROS Tape have been driving our growth in the cutting-edge field. Operating income before special items in fiscal year 2025 is expected to be JPY 35.5 billion, an increase of JPY 8.8 billion compared to the previous year. Volume difference is expected to be +JPY 8.0 billion, as sales volume is expected to increase due to demand growth in the cutting-edge semiconductor market and a recovery in demand for semiconductors. Terms of trade are expected to be +JPY 1.0 billion, driven by an improvement related to fluctuations in raw material prices despite the impact of losses from yen appreciation. Please see page 27. Basic & Green Materials operating income before special items in fiscal year 2025 is expected to be -JPY 15.0 billion.
I have already explained this earlier, so I will omit details. Please see page 28. Next, I will explain by segment the changes compared to the second half of the previous year, as well as changes from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of this fiscal year... Operating income before special items in the third quarter was JPY 23.5 billion, and the forecast for the fourth quarter is JPY 35.0 billion. So we expect an increase of JPY 11.5 billion from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.
In the Specialty Chemicals Domains, we expect to see an increase in profit of JPY 14.8 billion overall, mainly due to an increase in profit of JPY 14.5 billion in Life & Healthcare Solutions, thanks to the high-demand season for domestic agrochemicals and the effects of business restructuring and increased sales volumes in Oral Care . In Basic & Green Materials, although we expect an increase in fixed costs due to levies such as property taxes, we will increase operating rates to secure inventory in light of the impact of the major regular maintenance at Osaka Works, scheduled for next fiscal year. Compared to the second half of fiscal year 2024, operating income before special items is expected to increase from JPY 48.2 billion to JPY 58.5 billion in the second half of fiscal year 2025, up JPY 10.3 billion.
In the Specialty Chemicals Domains, we expect profit growth driven by an increase, mainly in ICT Solutions and sales expansion in Life & Healthcare Solutions, mainly in Vision Care and agrochemicals. In addition, operating loss before special items in Basic & Green Materials is expected to be reduced due to the effects of business restructuring and others. Please see page 29. This is the cash flow outlook. Cash flows from operating activities are expected to be positive JPY 200.0 billion, while cash flows from investing activities are expected to be negative JPY 155.0 billion. As a result, free cash flows are expected to be positive JPY 45.0 billion.
As we place importance on cash generation, we will continue to work on optimizing inventory and other measures to enhance our cash generation capabilities, aiming for a level of JPY 200.0 billion or more. That's all for the explanation about our financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 and our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025. Thank you very much for your kind attention.