Hello everyone, I am President Ishii. Thank you very much for joining us today. I will explain our FY 2025 business results and FY 2026 management plan. First, for FY 2025 business results, please refer to page two of the presentation materials, FY 2025 business results and FY 2026 management plan. Consolidated net profit reached JPY 900.3 billion, while exceeding our initial plan of JPY 900 billion, marking a record high for the two consecutive years and achieving JPY 900 billion stage for the first time. Although FY 2025 started under highly uncertain and volatile conditions, including the impact of U.S. tariff policies and rising tensions between Japan and China, we steadily accumulated core profit by addressing each challenge arose and successfully achieved our initial commitment, driven by extraordinary gains from asset replacements, et cetera. Next, core profit increased by JPY 11.5 billion year-on-year, reaching JPY 781.5 billion.
As announced, there were negative factors in the first half of FY 2025 that we didn't expect in our initial plan, including delays in the coking coal projects, sluggish iron ore prices, and underperformance in the finished pulp business. Prompt countermeasures and turnaround initiatives enabled us to recover to a normalized level in the second half. Steady growth in our core group companies, including FamilyMart, Descente, CDC, and North American Power business, as well as in our medium-sized businesses in the non-resource sector, contributed to accumulate core profit solidly. By segment, five out of our eight division companies, textile, machinery, food, ICT and financial business, and the eighth, achieved record high core profit, highlighting the strength of our stable non-resource businesses. Core operating cash flows reached a record high JPY 940 billion, demonstrating our steadily strengthening earnings power.
As cash serves as the foundation for both growth investments and shareholder returns, we will continue to secure both cash and profit to achieve growth and enhanced shareholder returns, while maintaining a robust financial foundation. In FY 2025, we executed growth investments totaling JPY 838 billion on a gross basis. Including projects already approved and scheduled for execution within FY 2026, the total exceeds JPY 1 trillion. We continue to build up high-quality assets with strong growth potential. We also proactively implemented asset replacements, such as the sale of C.P. Pokphand, thereby securing solid cash inflows. Regarding shareholder returns, we increased the dividend per share to JPY 42, marking the 11 consecutive years of dividend increases and surpassing our initial plan. Share buybacks were executed as planned, totaling JPY 170 billion, and the total payout ratio reached a record high 52%. ROE remained at approximately 15%, sustaining a high level.
Our group company's strength for ITOCHU also performed well, with the ratio of group companies reporting profits reaching a record high 93%. In terms of profit contributions from group companies, we maintained the same high level as the previous year, which was also a record high, demonstrating the robustness of our group's earnings foundation. This concludes my explanation of the FY 2025 business results. Next, I will explain FY 2026 management plan. Please refer to page three of the presentation materials. For FY 2026, we are targeting consolidated net profit of JPY 950 billion, which would be a record high for the three consecutive years.
As I mentioned earlier, we expect steady contributions to core profit from the turnaround of 2 businesses that were negative factors at the beginning of FY 2025, synergies from new investments such as Seven Bank and AND PHARMA, and profit contributions from investments approved in FY 2025, and continued organic growth in major core group companies such as Descente and CDC.
We will also actively pursue asset replacements for low-efficiency assets and businesses that have peaked out, realizing extraordinary gains and securing cash inflows. Our profit plan of JPY 950 billion includes a loss buffer of JPY 40 billion to address certain risk scenarios. Growth investments are planned to reach a record high JPY 1.5 trillion. This includes ongoing annual CapEx of JPY 300 billion and approximately JPY 300 billion in projects already approved in FY 2025, such as Hitachi Construction Machinery, North American Power Business, ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN, and Sun Frontier Fudousan.
In addition to investments aimed at strengthening each business segment, we will also actively pursue investments to create new core businesses. Please refer to page five of presentation materials for our approach to growth investment. Having entered the JPY 900 billion earnings stage, we will continue to pursue steady profit growth. In other words, raising the earnings level is essential. The driving force for this earnings growth is, without question, proactive investments. As shown in the presentation materials, growth investments excluding CapEx are planned at JPY 1.2 trillion for FY 2026, of which JPY 300 billion has already been approved. Accordingly, we are targeting over JPY 900 billion in new investments. We will focus on investments that will be able to raise earnings level. Key areas are indicated. We will pursue profit opportunities are shifting downstream, raised in our management policy to strengthen and to expand the value chain.
Despite the potential for cross-industry collaboration in consumer-related sector, the reality is that each business currently operates in vertical silos. We believe that we will be able to create additional value through networking the current structure. This approach aims not only at our core group companies, but also the reorganization and efficiency improvement of food wholesalers, horizontal synergy expansions leveraging FinTech with Seven Bank or real estate business with JR East, and the creation of new businesses in generic and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals with AND PHARMA. We will pursue these initiatives, including capital strategies, to further enhance consumer convenience. To move to the next stage, we are also considering reallocating resources by reviewing and rebalancing our portfolio and reinvesting in resources and basic industry-related sectors.
As a general trading company, we have supported Japan's basic industries and have developed expertise in areas such as metals, steel, mobility, power generation, basic chemicals, food materials, and construction materials in our trading business. We will take on new challenges in resource development leveraging our past lessons. Please return to page three of presentation materials. While accelerating growth investment, our policy remains to maintain the balance among growth investment, shareholder returns, and control of interest-bearing debt. In addition, we will continue to manage our balance sheet with a focus on maintaining an A credit rating from rating agencies. Although leverage will increase as growth investment expands, we plan to manage our net DER at around 0.6 x. Regarding shareholder returns, we plan to raise the dividend for 12 consecutive years, targeting a record-high dividend per share of JPY 44 or higher.
Share buybacks are also planned to exceed a record-high JPY 300 billion or more. As a result, the total payout ratio is planned to reach a record high 64%. Please refer to page 15 of presentation materials for profit plans by business segment. All business segments are expected to achieve year-on-year profit growth. I will now provide a brief overview of each business segment. Textile: Descente continues to perform well, driving growth through directly operating stores and strengthening manufacturing by new materials. The China business of Descente is also performing favorably, with strong demand among affluent consumers, even though overall consumer spending remains sluggish. In the retail business alongside existing brands such as Edwin, JOI'X, Leilian, and Converse, we will promote the introduction of new brands and collaboration with select shops to strengthen expansion of our business that stays ahead of trends.
Our traditional manufacturing group companies are also recovering. Significant profit growth is expected as textile. Machinery: Having established itself as a leading business segment, the machinery is expected to deliver strong results in FY 2026 again. The increased shareholding ratio in Hitachi Construction Machinery to 33.4% is expected to drive further profit growth through the demand for resource developments around the world and construction of logistics warehouses and data centers. The North American Power business continues to perform well by capturing robust electricity demand from data centers and generative AI. We are strengthening local power plant operations. Aichi Corporation, which was additionally acquired in FY 2026, is performing well. In addition, we will steadily build up our new investment in SWTS, a plant equipment maintenance company in Singapore, putting it on track for consistent earnings contribution. We are planning for significant profit growth again this fiscal year.
Metals and minerals: The two coking coal projects have already reached a turnaround. We will ensure that they make a solid contribution to profits. We aim to expand businesses actively in cooperation with CM, the large-scale iron ore business in Brazil. Aluminum billet transactions in the UAE are expected to decrease in volume due to the impact of the Iran conflict until recovery. The low-carbon direct reduced iron, DRI, project in the UAE is currently progressing as planned. We will continue to strengthen our competitive iron ore, nuclear power and uranium business. Energy & Chemicals: The chemicals business remains strong, with ITOCHU Chemical Frontier, ITOCHU Plastics, and others securing steady profits. High value-added products, including fine chemicals, pharmaceutical raw materials, semiconductor materials, and reagents, are performing well. New investments by group companies are also under consideration.
The power solutions business has been integrated into Energy Division, and we are expanding medium to large-scale energy storage networks, particularly in collaboration with ITOCHU ENEX or by involving power and gas companies, municipalities, and local governments. Food: Both quantitative and qualitative performance remain quite strong, especially in group companies generally maintaining steady growth. The restructuring of the confectionery wholesaler business and the conversion of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN into a wholly-owned subsidiary have strengthened our presence in the food distribution sector. In addition, significant strengthening of profitability through synergies with Nippon Access is expected. Overseas business such as Dole and Burra, which had been underperforming, are steadily implementing improvements, and our North American oil extraction business is expected to gain benefit from the rebound in fuel prices this fiscal year.
General Products and Realty: The Finnish pulp business, which had posted losses due to high log prices caused by the suspension of Russian timber imports and low pulp prices, has halted losses through a capital restructuring and is expected to show significant improvement. In addition to recovery of group companies such as North American Construction Materials business, ETEL, and DAIKEN, we expect to see profit contributions from the investment in a leading real estate fee developer in the U.S. and Japan. We also anticipate benefits from the integration of ITOCHU Property Development and JR East's real estate business, as well as from the new investment in Sun Frontier Fudousan, which is engaged in office revitalization projects. WECARS is also on track for rebuilding, working toward restoring its status as a provider of compulsory automobile liability insurance and certified vehicle inspection services.
ICT and Financial business: Driven by robust digital demand, CTC is expected to achieve a record-high profit for the fourth consecutive year as we advance our digital value chain strategy. Investments in PASCO CORPORATION, geospatial information services, as well as collaboration with related companies engaged in consulting service are accelerating growth and expanding our capabilities.
Such as HOKEN NO MADOGUCHI Group, which strengthened its store network and services through M&A with four peer companies last fiscal year, our leading core group companies are also expected to drive steady profit growth. The eighth, we aim to strengthen product appeal at FamilyMart and further develop exceptionally well-performing retail media business. We will support profit generation and synergies from AND PHARMA and Seven Bank. This business segment is responsible for creating value by deepening synergies between investees and group companies and will lead new investments by leveraging its cross-organizational functions across the entire company.
That concludes my presentation on the FY 2025 business results and the FY 2026 management plan. In summary, for FY 2026, we are positioning this fiscal year as a gear shift or gear up to achieve a step change in earnings by accelerating growth investments. Our management policy of no growth without investments is reflected in the record-high JPY 1.5 trillion growth investment plan, aiming to shift into a higher gear and accelerate growth through proactive investments. We are also advancing comprehensive and multilayered initiatives, including strategic alliances in real estate business with JR East and capital and business alliances with Seven Bank. It is important to note that unlike allocation-based investments reliant on market-driven earnings, realizing business synergies through hands-on management, one of ITOCHU's core styles, requires time. This approach involves dispatching personnel to work closely on-site, collaborating directly to enhance corporate value.
While it takes time, the synergies we build will serve as long-lasting, stable sources of profit over the long term. With the start of the new fiscal year, as in previous years, Chairman and CEO, Masahiro Okafuji, and I held meetings with the managements of 37 core group companies. 18 of these group companies achieved record-high profits in FY 2025, and 30 companies reported forecast year-on-year profit increases for FY 2026.
These reports have further strengthened our confidence in the earning power of our hands-on group companies. Although there are still uncertainties, such as the situation in the Middle East, we have incorporated sufficient loss buffers into our FY 2026 plan, and we believe the JPY 950 billion target is fully achievable. Finally, in FY 2026, we expect market conditions to remain volatile in the near term, driven by the situation in the Middle East and subsequent fluctuations in resource prices.
While the impact of these resource price changes on business results will vary by company, ITOCHU will continue to steadily implement management measures and growth investments with a long-term perspective, adapting to changing circumstances like water. Even as we look ahead to the new world that lies beyond, we will continue to demonstrate ITOCHU's full strengths and steadily pioneer business fields where we can achieve robust growth. We are committed to shifting gears now and showing that ITOCHU is ready to reach the next stage of earnings. I conclude my explanation. Thank you for your attention.
I am CFO Naka. I would like to provide supplementary explanation on two points, our approach to plan formulation and visibility in achieving the plan. First, regarding our approach to plan formulation. As basic policy on page three of the presentation materials, the KPIs we prioritize most are ROE and EPS.
Our fundamental policy, to pursue sustainable enhancement of corporate value by driving earnings growth while maintaining efficiency, remains unchanged. There is also no change in our cash allocation policy, which continuously maintains a solid financial foundation by balancing three factors: growth investments, shareholder returns, and control of interest-bearing debt. However, we recognize it is important to flexibly manage this balance within the boundaries of financial discipline in response to changes in the business environment and management conditions. While we continue to deliver record-high profits, we are fully aware that the market perceives the degree of our profit growth as insufficient. Accordingly, under our management policy of no growth without investments, we will place even greater emphasis on growth investments in FY 2026.
We have built up a solid pipeline with highly feasible projects that will contribute to the creation of new core businesses, and we expect to achieve growth investments totaling approximately JPY 1.5 trillion in FY 2026. Please note that the JPY 1.5 trillion is not a preset allocation. At the same time, we will further enhance shareholder returns with share buybacks planned JPY 300 billion or more.
This is intended to enhance EPS and should be regarded as a reflection of management's strong commitment to maintaining high ROE. However, our fundamental approach is that high ROE should be achieved through the increasing of consolidated net profit, the numerator, rather than by adjusting total shareholders' equity, the denominator, through share buybacks. For FY 2026, our plan is based on the concept of leveraging debt to achieve profit growth through growth investment while maintaining highly efficient management. Next, regarding the visibility in achieving the plan.
Please refer to page 14 of the presentation materials. Some may have the impression that core profit growth was somewhat sluggish in FY 2025. For FY 2026, it is essential that we demonstrate solid growth in core profit. Starting from FY 2025's core profit of JPY 781.5 billion, we have adjusted for current assumptions on resource prices, Forex, and the impact of the Middle East situation. We expect an increase of JPY 25 billion from the turnaround of previously underperforming businesses and an additional JPY 65 billion from new investments.
In addition to JPY 15 billion profit increase from investments executed in FY 2025, approximately half of the JPY 50 billion profit increase anticipated from investments to be executed in FY 2026, approximately half has already been secured through executed investments such as the additional acquisition of Hitachi Construction Machinery, the conversion of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN into a wholly-owned subsidiary, the additional acquisition of North American Power Business, and investment in Sun Frontier Fudousan. In addition, for the remaining investments of approximately JPY 900 billion scheduled for execution, several projects are already at the final stage of negotiations or are being negotiated under basic agreement, and we expect these investments to be realized successively, contributing to profit in the second half of FY 2026. We also plan to steadily accumulate core profits in each business segment.
Major items for which the amounts are disclosed in the materials include Descente, plus JPY 5.8 billion, CTC, plus JPY 4.4 billion, North American Construction Materials Business, Dole, Aerospace Business, Nippon Access, and ETEL, with a total profit increase of over JPY 20 billion expected from these seven businesses. In addition, although the amounts are not disclosed, we anticipate higher profit contributions from businesses such as CM, primarily due to significant improvements in Forex valuation losses, and Marubeni-Itochu Steel, and Tokyo Century. We also expect steady growth in our medium-sized companies, an area of strength for ITOCHU. As for extraordinary gains, several projects are already nearing closing, and we expect to realize more than half of the JPY 90 billion incorporated in the plan within the first quarter.
Furthermore, we have incorporated a loss buffer of approximately JPY 40 billion to address risk scenarios such as prolonged geopolitical instability in the Middle East and its indirect effects. Based on these considerations, we are confident in the high certainty of achieving our profit plan. For FY 2026, we remain fully committed to delivering another record-high consolidated net profit of JPY 950 billion. This concludes my explanation.