ROHM Co., Ltd.’s financial report for the six months ending September 30, 2024, reveals a challenging period characterized by a decline in net sales and profitability. The company’s net sales dropped by 3.0% year-over-year to ¥232,022 million. This decline reflects a mix of robust demand in certain markets, such as automotive electronics, which increased sales in SiC power devices, and growth in the computer and storage sectors. However, these gains were offset by significant sales declines in the industrial equipment market.
Key financial metrics deteriorated, with ROHM reporting an operating loss of ¥974 million, a reversal from a profit of ¥29,833 million in the prior year. Factors influencing this loss include lower sales volumes, reduced production due to inventory adjustments, and higher costs associated with expanding SiC device production and adopting eight-inch wafers. The ordinary profit also declined to a loss of ¥129 million, impacted by foreign exchange losses. Profit attributable to shareholders dropped by 94.5% to ¥2,068 million, primarily due to reduced gains on securities sales.
ROHM’s EBITDA also saw a decrease, down 35.8% to ¥39,344 million. Segment-wise, integrated circuits and discrete semiconductor devices faced declines, with IC sales down 2.9% and segment profit down 54.8%. Power devices in the automotive sector performed well, but broader semiconductor device sales suffered from subdued demand in the industrial equipment sector. In contrast, modules and resistors segments showed marginal growth, supported by increased demand for smartphone sensor modules and high-power resistors for automotive applications.
Looking forward, ROHM expects continuing economic and industry challenges, such as slowing EV market growth, prolonged inventory adjustments in industrial equipment, and fluctuating consumer demand. As a result, ROHM has revised its forecast, projecting full-year sales to decrease by 3.8% to ¥450,000 million, alongside anticipated losses in operating profit and ordinary profit. The company plans to proceed with production adjustments, aiming for future alignment with customer demand, particularly in energy-efficient solutions and advanced power devices.
Original – ROHM
