Japan Earnings Wrap: Kao, Astellas Pharma Rise; Taiyo Yuden Declines
Japanese stocks reporting earnings traded mixed on Thursday, with gains led by cosmetics and pharmaceutical firms, while materials and electronics manufacturers declined.Kao's (TYO:4452) shares climbed 12% as attributable net income rose 32.3% to 65.7 billion yen in the first six months of the year.The cosmetics group's basic earnings per share came in higher at 72.58 yen while net sales in the first half also increased 7.8% to 871.9 billion yen.For the financial year ending Dec. 31, the company expects attributable income of 135 billion yen, net sales of 1.8 trillion yen and basic EPS of 149.21 yen.Astellas Pharma's (TYO:4503) shares gained 5% after profit attributable to owners of the parent more than doubled to 141.8 billion yen in the fiscal first quarter.The pharmaceutical company's earnings per share increased to 78.96 yen while revenue rose 27% to 640.9 billion yen in the three months ended June 30.Astellas maintained its full-year forecast, projecting an attributable profit of 300 billion yen, basic earnings per share of 167.46 yen, and revenue of 2.220 trillion yen for fiscal 2026.Taiyo Yuden (TYO:6976) shares fell nearly 12% despite returning to the black with an attributable profit of 2.50 billion yen in the first fiscal quarter.The materials and electronics company's EPS stood at 18.16 yen, while net sales jumped 11% to 93.9 billion yen.The company forecasts an attributable profit of 29 billion yen, basic EPS of 219.03 yen, net sales of 424 billion yen, and a total dividend of 90 yen per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027.
