Results by Segment
Looking at Canon’s second-quarter performance by business unit, starting with the Office Business Unit, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE Gen3 3rd Edition series, which features enhanced security functions, experienced solid demand. As a result, color models compensated for the shrinking demand for monochrome models and unit sales of office MFDs were at around the same level as the same period of the previous year. As for laser printers, although sales were strong for new models that achieve low power consumption, compact body designs and high productivity, unit sales of hardware decreased compared with the same period of the previous year due to decreasing sales of low speed models and sales of consumables also decreased. These factors resulted in total sales for the business unit of ¥427.9 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 7.5%, while income before income taxes decreased by 29.6% year on year to ¥44.2 billion. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥853.5 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 5.7%, while income before income taxes totaled ¥90.8 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 22.1%.
Within the Imaging System Business Unit, although the market of interchangeable lens digital cameras continued to shrink, for mirrorless cameras, unit sales were strong owing to the successive introduction of new models equipped with full-frame sensors after the second half of the previous year, which served to increase the company’s presence in the market. For inkjet printers, although Canon has been working to increase sales by expanding its lineup of refillable ink tank models and through the development of business inkjet MFDs, unit sales decreased overall compared with the same period of the previous year mainly due to the shrinking market. As a result, sales for the business unit decreased by 18.5% to ¥204.7 billion year on year, while income before income taxes decreased by 63.7% year on year to ¥13.4 billion. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥381.0 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 17.8%, while income before income taxes totaled ¥18.4 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 71.0%.
Within the Medical System Business Unit, sales of CT systems were strong in overseas market, mainly due to such newly launched products as the Aquilion Start and Aquilion Genesis, and sales for each product category including diagnosticX-ray systems increased in Japan due to the recovery of capital expenditure. As a result, sales for the business unit increased by 11.0% to ¥105.1 billion year on year, while income before income taxes increased ¥1.6 billion year on year to ¥3.5 billion. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥214.6 billion, mainly due to a decrease in both sales and profit for the first quarter, ayear-on-year increase of 1.3%, while income before income taxes totaled ¥10.0 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 19.6%.
For the Industry and Others Business Unit, although investments in semiconductor lithography equipment for image sensors and automotive devices were strong, investments in memory devices remained at a low level. Sales of OLED panel manufacturing equipment decreased compared with the same period of the previous year due to the continuing restraint of investments in the smartphone market. Sales of network cameras were strong amid increasing market demand due to diversifying market needs, particularly for Axis. Consequently, sales for the business unit decreased by 14.4% to ¥192.4 billion year on year, while income before income taxes decreased by 68.1% year on year to ¥6.8 billion. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥368.8 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 15.7%, while income before income taxes totaled ¥12.1 billion, ayear-on-year decrease of 67.6%.
Cash Flow
During the first half of 2019, cash flow from operating activities totaled ¥113.2 billion, a decrease of ¥51.7 billion compared with the same period of the previous year, owing mainly to a decrease of profit. Cash flow used in investing activities increased by ¥21.0 billion year on year to ¥110.8 billion mainly due to an increase of the investment in production equipment. Accordingly, free cash flow totaled positive ¥2.4 billion, a decrease of ¥72.7 billion compared with the correspondingyear-ago period.
Cash flow used in financing activities recorded an outlay of ¥107.5 billion, mainly owing to the dividend payout and the repurchasing of treasury stock while an increase of ¥32.1 billion of short-term loan.
Owing to these factors, as well as the impact from foreign currency translation adjustments, cash and cash equivalents decreased by ¥113.2 billion to ¥407.5 billion from the end of the previous year.
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