First, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our shareholders and investors, for your continued support.
This is to inform you of our Company’s Consolidated Business Result for the first half, the accumulative 2nd quarter, of the 45th fiscal year (the period from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023). On this occasion, we would like to say a few words.
As for this period, uncertain political and economic situation continued, such as concerns about an economic slowdown due to the effect by prolonged Russia-Ukraine situation and rapid inflation. On the other hand, the business environment surrounding the Company remained strong due to the resumption of economic activities in earnest around the world.
In particular, we received many inquiries by exhibiting and showcasing new technologies at K2022, the world’s largest exhibition in Germany, and Plastindia2023, a large-scale exhibition in India. As a result, amount of orders received during the period were the second highest ever and order backlogs remained at a high level. Similarly, both sales and operating profit were the second highest on record and the business itself performed strongly. On the other hand, net profit for the first half decreased due to foreign exchange losses caused by the rapid appreciation of the yen.
Going forward, we assume our business to shift stably as the demand for our products based on the living necessities is prospected to show steady growth. Growing interest in social issues such as climate change and environmental impact of plastics is also a business opportunity for our company, which has strengths in environment-conscious technologies. For medium- to long-term business development, we will strive to expand our market share by strengthening the product competitiveness, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through the practical application of environment-conscious technologies.
We hope our shareholders and investors will look forward to our Company’s further growth, and we would greatly appreciate your continued support and encouragement.