Sony Group Q4 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

Quartr
Provided by Quartr
May 14, 2024

There are 3 speakers on the call.

Operator

The time has come. To begin, EFI 2023 Financial Results Announcement of Sony Group Corporation. I am Okada from Corporate Communications. I'll be serving as master ceremonies today. Let me introduce the people on the stage.

Operator

First, Hiroki Totoki, President, COO and CFO Naomi Matsuoka, Senior Vice President, Executive Officer in charge of Corporate Planning and Control, Lead of Group DE and Eye Promotion and Sport for Finance and Entertainment Area Hayakawa Sadahiko, Senior Vice President, Executive Officer in Charge of Finance and IR. These 3 will be explaining the results of our FY 'twenty three and forecast for FY 'twenty four and 5th mid range plan. After that, we are going to have Q and A. A total of 80 minutes is allocated. Now Mr.

Operator

Totoki, the floor is yours. Today, I will explain this content. Matsuoka and Hayakawa will talk about our results for FY 'twenty three and our result forecast for FY 'twenty four. And I will talk about the 5th mid range plan, which started this fiscal year. Hayakawa san, please go ahead.

Operator

Thank you. FY 'twenty three consolidated sales were 13,000,000,000 yen 20,800,000,000 yen a new record high. Consolidated operating income was 1,200,000,000 yen and 8,800,000,000. Net income was JPY 970,600,000,000 and consolidated adjusted EBITDA was JPY 1818,000,000,000. Furthermore, the JPY 229,400,000,000 in consolidated operating income for the previous quarter was the highest ever for a 4th quarter.

Operator

Due to the partial spin off of our Financial Services business, which is scheduled for October 2025 from this earnings announcement, we are also showing other figures without the Financial Services segment. On a consolidated basis, excluding the Financial Services segment, sales were JPY 11,265,000,000,000. Operating income was JPY 1,300,000,000,000 and JPY 1335,300,000,000 and operating cash flow was JPY 1,177,800,000,000. The performance by segment for FY 'twenty three is shown on this slide. Next, I will explain our consolidated results forecast for the full FY 'twenty four.

Operator

Full year forecast is sales of JPY 12,310,000,000,000, operating income of JPY 1,275,000,000,000 and net income of JPY 925,000,000,000 On a consolidated basis, excluding the Financial Services segment, sales are expected to be JPY 11,400,000,000,000 and operating income is expected to increase 9% year on year to JPY 1,000,000,000,000. Yen, a significant increase of 19% year on year. Yen a significant increase of 19% year on year. The full year forecast by segment is shown here. Now I will move on an explanation of the overview of each business.

Operator

First is G and NS segment. FY 2023 sales increased a significant 17% year on year to JPY 4267,700,000,000 mainly due to increased third party software sales and the impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating income increased JPY 40,200,000,000 year on year to JPY 290,200,000,000 mainly due to the increased sales. Operating income for the previous quarter was 106,000,000,000 yen a new record high for the Q4 in this segment. The FY 'twenty four forecast for sales is 4,200,000,000,000 yen and operating income is 3,100,000,000,000 yen We expect acquisition related expenses, including expenses related to the acquisition of Bunch Inc.

Operator

For this fiscal year to be approximately JPY 52,000,000,000, a decrease of JPY 17,000,000,000 year on year. PlayStation 5 sales in the previous quarter totaled 4,500,000 units and in the full FY 2023, 20,800,000 units. As of the end of March, cumulative unit sales of PS5 reached 59,200,000 units, approaching the 60,000,000 cumulative units sold of the PlayStation 4, which had undergoing price cuts of a total of USD 100 in the same period since its release. We expect PS5 sales for this fiscal year to be approximately 18,000,000 units. In terms of software, the live service game Helldiverse 2 released in February has been a hit that far exceeded expectations with cumulative sales for both PS5 and PC in 12 weeks since its release to the beginning of May, reached 12,000,000 copies, surpassing the record set by God of War: Ragnarok in the same period after its release in 2022.

Operator

The game has become our biggest PC hit title to date and as a multiplatform title, it also contributed significantly to sales and profit last quarter. Following this success, we are looking forward to the release of live service games such as the expansion content Destiny 2: The Final Shape, which is expected to be released by Bungie on June 4, and Concorde, which is scheduled to be released this year by Fireworks Studios, which we acquired in 2023. Thanks primarily to the growing eventuation of PS5 as well as the success of whole diverse 2 and third party free to play titles, the number of monthly active users across BS in March remained high at 180,000,000 accounts, up 9% year on year. Total play time on PS in the month of March increased 15% year on year. And for the entire Q4 of the FY 'twenty three, it reached the 2nd highest level in history, 2nd only to the Q4 of FY 'twenty, which benefited from significant stay at home demand due to the pandemic.

Operator

Looking at the console cycle, we think that the PlayStation business model has changed significantly since the launch of the PS4. The focused on increasing the number of software units sold in relation to newly sold hardware for each console generation. After a transition period during the PS4 generation, the PS5 model has shifted to 1 where play time on the platform has increased due to expansion of the user community beyond console generations. Due to this change in business model, during the PS4 generation, we were able to significantly grow profits in this segment, thanks to rapid digitalization and the expansion of network services. In the PS5 generation, which has capitalized on the established PS4 user base, the trend is hard to see due to the impact of stay at home demand and acquisition related expenses.

Operator

But since the launch of the PS5, we have continued to achieve a high level of and more stable profit growth. As we enter the second half of the console cycle, we expect the number of new PS5 units sold to gradually decline. However, by steadily maintaining and expanding the consistently increasing number of active users and user engagement while also strengthening control over business costs, we believe that we will be able to steadily increase sales and profits from the PS platform going forward. In addition to the stable earnings base on the PS platform, we are aiming to grow sales of 1st party software, which we have been actively strengthening in recent years. And by doing so, we plan to achieve a new record high in profits in this segment during the 5th mid range plan.

Operator

Next is Music segment. FY 'twenty three sales increased a significant 17% year on year to 1,000,000,000,000 yen mainly due to increased streaming sales and the impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating income increased JPY 38 point 6,000,000,000 from the previous fiscal year to JPY 301,700,000,000, mainly due to increased sales, setting a new record for this segment for the 4th consecutive year and being the highest among our 6 business segments as was the case last fiscal year. The FY 2023 profit contribution from Visual, Media and Platform accounted for approximately 10% of the segment's operating income. The FY 'twenty four forecast for sales is 1,690,000,000 yen and operating income is 3.15,000,000,000 yen Streaming revenue in the previous quarter continued to grow on a U.

Operator

S. Dollar basis with both recorded music and music publishing each increasing 11% year on year. In terms of recorded music, an average of 31 songs were ranked in the top 100 on Spotify's weekly global song rankings for the whole of FY 'twenty three. Moreover, Beyonce's new album, Cowboy Carter, released on March 29, has become a hit, ranking number 1 in the U. S.

Operator

Album chart immediately upon its release. Streaming revenue in music publishing has grown significantly with a CAGR of 38% over the 4 years since FY 2020, thanks to an expansion of opportunity to monetize our music catalog, which have been available for a certain period of time. We have been strengthening our music catalog since making EMI Music Publishing a wholly owned subsidiary in 2018, and the number of songs we managed at the end of March was approximately 6,240,000, an increase of 1.7x over the past 10 years. We also maintain the top global market share in music publishing. The value of music catalogs as IP assets is expanding significantly, and we intend to further expand the monetization opportunities of these IP assets, primarily by maximizing synergies between the Entertainment businesses.

Speaker 1

Next is the Pictures segment. Although there was a decrease in the number of television program deliveries, FY 'twenty three sales increased 9% year on year to 1,000,000,000,000,000 yen due to an increase in the number of theatrical releases and the impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating income was JPY 117,700,000,000 essentially flat year on year. This was primarily due to an increase in marketing costs resulting from the increased number of releases, offset by the impact of the increase in sales. Our FY 'twenty four forecast for the sales is 1,480,000,000,000 yen and operating income is 120,000,000,000 yen The negative impact on the profitability of the Hollywood strikes in FY 'twenty 3 is estimated to have been approximately JPY 18,000,000,000 caused by changes in the film releases schedules and delay in the delivery of the television programs.

Speaker 1

We believe the negative impact of the strikes and profitability will peak in FY 'twenty four, and we have incorporated approximately JPY 34,000,000,000 the impact into the full year forecast. Regarding Crunchyroll, we are expecting it to contribute even more to the operating income of the entire segment due to the sales growth, primarily from an increase in the global playing subscribers and an overseas distribution of anime products as well as reduced amortization expenses associated with the acquisition. In Motion Pictures, we have plans to release major titles in FY 'twenty four, such as the sequel to the popular Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, as well as new titles from the Sony Pictures' universe of a Marvel characters, Venom, The Last Dance and then Kraven the Hunter. Next, the ET and S segment. FY 'twenty three sales were JPY 2,450,000,000,000, 3,700,000,000, essentially flat year on year.

Speaker 1

This was mainly due to a decrease in the unit sales of televisions offset by an impact from the foreign exchange rates. Operating income increased JPY 7,900,000,000 year on year to JPY 187,400,000,000 mainly due to the favorable impact of our foreign exchange rates and the benefit of the cost reductions despite the impact of a lower sales in televisions. Our FY 'twenty four forecast for sales is JPY 2,370,000,000,000 and operating income is JPY 190,000,000,000 In FY 'twenty three, the digital cameras and the interchangeable lenses generated increased sales and operating income, thanks to enhanced product appeals and televisions and the mobile communication reduced cost, enabling the entire segment to achieve a level of operating income that exceeded FY 'twenty two results and in our projection at the beginning of FY 'twenty three. Moreover, full year operating cash flow was JPY 322,800,000,000, the largest amount our 5 year business segment excluding the Financial Services segment due to improved profitability and a significant inventory reductions, mainly in televisions. The market for interchangeable lens and mirrorless cameras, which is the main source of sales and profit for this segment, showed a strong growth in the previous quarter, mainly in China and Japan, and has continued to remain strong since April.

Speaker 1

We expect this market growth to gradually decelerate from the second half of this year this fiscal year onward, but we believe this will remain stable going forward. Next, the Iron and SS segment. FY 'twenty three sales increased a significant 14% year on year to JPY 1,602,700,000,000, mainly due to increased sales of the image sensors for mobile products and the impact of foreign exchange rates. Despite the impact of increased sales, operating income decreased to decreased JPY 18,700,000,000 year on year to JPY 193,500,000,000 mainly due to an increase in expenses, including depreciation and amortization expenses. Our FY 'twenty four forecast for sales is JPY 1,000,000,000,000 840,000,000,000 yen and operating income is JPY 270,000,000,000 which would be a record high for this segment.

Speaker 1

In the current smartphone product market, while unit sales in the previous quarter in China slightly exceeded the same period of the previous year, Stagnation continues in the U. S. And in other parts of Asia, and we believe the global recovery will be very slow. In this market environment, our mobile sensor business is expected to continue to grow due to larger die size sensors and higher added value and an expanded market share. And we plan to achieve year on year sales growth in the FY '24 of 10% or more for the 3rd year in a row.

Speaker 1

In addition to the trend of increasing the die size of the right angle camera sensors, smartphone manufacturers are working to increase the size and then improve the image quality and the performance of the extra wide angle and then telephoto camera sensors. And we believe this will be the growth driver for the mobile sensor market over the next few years. To accommodate these trends towards larger die sizes and higher added value, we are focusing our sensor development on improving pixel performance and characteristics. We are developing high performance sensors while focusing on a number of manufacturing processes and productivity as well as improving production yields through pixel design. These efforts are expected to contribute to future investment and efficiency and cost improvement.

Speaker 1

In addition, with regards to improving the yield of mobile sensor, which had been a top priority since the previous fiscal year. We have been making a progress at a pace that slightly exceeds our plan. As a result, we expect to be able to reduce the impact on profitability for this fiscal year to approximately JPY 18,000,000,000 almost half of the previous fiscal year. Last is the Financial Services segment. The Financial Service revenue for FY 'twenty three was JPY 1,770,000,000,000, almost double year on year, mainly due to the impact of a market fluctuation in the Sony Life Inc.

Speaker 1

Operating income decreased a significant JPY 144,500,000,000 year on year to JPY 173,600,000,000 This was primarily due to a decrease in the net gains related to market fluctuations for variable insurance and other products of the Sony Life as well as recording of the gains on the stable sales of the real estate at the Sony Life and then recovery of funds related to unauthorized withdrawal in the previous fiscal year. And these negative factors are primarily offset by the recording of the gain and mainly from the transfer of the portion of the shares of the Sony Payment Services Inc. The FY 'twenty four forecast for the financial services revenues was JPY 910,000,000,000 and operating income is JPY 145,000,000,000, a decrease of the JPY 28,600,000,000 from the previous fiscal year, which included the recording of the gain from the transfer I previously mentioned. Please note that this forecast does not take into account the impact of the market fluctuation on the Sony Life. Now I would like to explain the fluctuations in operating income that have been particularly notable since the adoption of IFRS 17.

Speaker 1

This is the trend of the breakdown of Sony Life's quarterly operating income, while Insurance Services results, which are the base profit for the business, have generally remained stable, investment gains and losses have fluctuated greatly due to the changes in the market conditions. The majority of the investment gains and losses consist of unrealized valuation gains and losses. We are considering the measures to curb these fluctuations in gains and losses, including the transfer of the previously controlled insurance contracts to the external parties through reinsurance transactions. This concludes our explanation of our financial results for FY 'twenty three and the results forecast for FY 'twenty four. Next, Totoki will explain our mid range plan.

Speaker 1

Totoki san, please go ahead.

Speaker 2

Now I would like to talk about our mid range plan. First, let me give a brief overview of our 4th mid range plan. Under the theme of our 4th mid range plan, Sony's evolution, we have been working to evolve our corporate architecture portfolio to drive growth for the entire group. In April 2021, we transitioned from a large headquarters housing support functions for our electronics business to Sony Group Corporation being a scaled down group headquarters. By doing so, we established a structure to promote the growth of the group in an equidistant relationship with each business.

Speaker 2

Regarding our business portfolio, we are making concrete preparations for a partial spin off of the Financial Services business in October 2025 with the aim of achieving further growth in both the Financial Services business and our other businesses. Additionally, by concentrating capital allocation on the growth areas of the 3 entertainment businesses and the INSS business, we were able to significantly increase the combined sales of these 4 business segments, creating a more growth oriented business portfolio. Thanks to these efforts, the KPI we set as a growth indicator for the 4th mid range plan period, 3 year cumulative consolidated adjusted EBITDA was 5,100,000,000,000 yen 19% higher than our initial target and 42% higher than the amount generated during the 3rd mid range plan period. In addition, our ability to generate profits is steadily improving. The average annual growth rate of consolidated operating income, excluding the Financial Services segment, was 9.0% from FY 2020 to FY 2023.

Speaker 2

Now I would like to talk about our 5th mid range plan. We are presenting the plan excluding the Financial Services segment, and Endo, the Head of that business, will provide an and The themes of the 5th mid range plan are beyond the boundaries and maximize synergies across the group, with the intention of continuing to implement the proactive initiatives we have been implementing to further realize synergies and achieve more growth for the entire group. During this mid range plan, no changes are planned to our strategy of working to increase corporate value through continuous growth. While further strengthening our efforts to realize group synergies, we plan to focus on implementing measures to achieve mid- to long term growth in our 3 entertainment and image sensor businesses. At the same time, we expect the business environment to remain uncertain and volatile during the period of this mid range plan and beyond.

Speaker 2

In order to further increase our resilience to such environmental changes, we aim to work to strengthen our earnings base through the ongoing evolution of our business portfolio and to improve investment efficiency and business profitability. Consequently, for the period of this mid range plan, we have placed greater emphasis on profit based growth KPIs, and we have set us KPIs for the entire group the growth rate of consolidated operating income and operating income margin. Specifically, we aim to increase consolidated operating income during this mid range plan, primarily in GNNS and INSS and achieve an average annual growth rate of 10% or more and a 3 year cumulative consolidated operating income margin of 10% or more. In addition, we have positioned as an important indicator the sales growth of the game software and network services businesses in G and NS, the music, the pictures and the image sensor businesses. We also plan to regularly report progress on the consolidated operating cash flow, which is the source of capital allocation.

Speaker 2

I will now discuss the main focus measures for each business under the 5th mid range plan. Further details will be provided by each at the Business Segment Meeting on May 30 31. In the GNNS segment, under the theme of console and beyond, we aim to drive profit growth of the Sony group by expanding the stable installed base of PlayStation consoles, providing richer gaming experiences and growing our business through the 2 pronged approach of expanding into PCs and enhancing the first party software titles originating from our in house studios into which we have invested. In the music segment, we continue to aim to grow faster than the market by strengthening our efforts in emerging markets, increasing monetization opportunities for our music catalog and incorporating adjacent businesses such as merchandising. We also plan to accelerate the global expansion of Japanese anime and artists.

Speaker 2

In the Pictures segment, which serves as the core of collaboration between the 3 entertainment businesses, we aim to maximize the value of the IP assets held by the Sony Group. Furthermore, we aim to achieve profitable growth with Crunchyroll, a DTC service, that deeply engages with anime fans and anime creators as a growth driver. In the ET and S segment, we plan to continue to control risks in businesses facing severe environments such as televisions, while steadily growing our highly profitable and technologically differentiated imaging and sound businesses and accelerating expansion into the growth access businesses. Through this, we aim to continue to shift the business portfolio of the entire segment and generate cash that supports the Sony Group. In the INSS segment, we intend to maintain our high growth rate primarily in mobile sensors and focus especially on increasing profitability, improving investment efficiency and reinforcing development and manufacturing during the period of the 5th MRP.

Speaker 2

We also plan to proceed with the launch of new growth businesses that will follow from mobile sensors, such as automotive sensors while maintaining financial discipline and a long term perspective. Next, I'd like to explain capital allocation during the term of the 5th mid range plan. 3 year cumulative consolidated operating cash flow, the main source of allocation, is expected to be JPY 4,500,000,000,000, significantly exceeding the results of the 4th mid range plan due to profit growth during the 5th mid range plan as well as the recovery of working capital that increased during the previous mid range plan. With regard to capital expenditures, we expect to spend 1,700,000,000,000 yen a decrease of 200,000,000,000 yen from the previous MRP, taking into account that investment for image sensors is expected to decrease from the previous MRP period. With regard to strategic investments, we plan to allocate JPY 1,800,000,000,000 to business growth investments and flexible share repurchases.

Speaker 2

We will continue to work toward mid- to long term growth of our business through such means as acquisition of IP and M and A, but we intend to emphasize investment efficiency and be more selective in the strategic arena. The biggest change from the capital allocation strategy under the previous mid range plan is that we plan to allocate any increase in free cash flow during the period of this mid range plan, primarily to shareholder returns. With regard to shareholder returns, we plan to place emphasis on the total payout ratio, which we expect to gradually increase throughout the period of the 5th mid range plan, aiming for approximately 40% in FY 2026, the final fiscal year of the plan. To this end, we set aside 250,000,000,000 yen for share buybacks for this fiscal year, the 1st year of the MRP, which exceeds the amount we acquired in the previous fiscal year. Regarding dividends, our policy is to continue to increase dividends steadily while accelerating the pace of dividend increases.

Speaker 2

In addition, with the aim of further expanding the investor base that holds our shares, at the Board of Directors meeting held today, it was decided to implement a stock split with a record date of September 30, 2024, and an effective date of October 1, 2024. These are the main points of our 5th mid range plan. At the corporate strategy meeting scheduled for May 20 3, CEO Yoshida and I will explain the direction of our group's businesses over the longer term. That's all for the explanation.

Operator

Presentation was given by Totoki, Matsuoka and Hayakawa. After this, from 4:35, Q and A with media and from 5 Q and A with investors and analysts will take place. We are allocating about 20 minutes for Q and A each. Those of you who have registered to ask questions in advance, please connect the telephone to the designated number in advance. And as for the way of asking questions and points to be noted, please look at the invitation letter that we have sent to you in advance.

Operator

Would you kindly wait until the Q and A session begins? We'll start Q and A session for media shortly. Would you kindly wait until the session begins? Thank you for waiting. We will now begin entertaining questions from the members of the media.

Operator

As was the case of the presentation, the people 3 people listed on the slide will be responding to your questions. Now we will begin the Q and A session. I would like to ask you to limit your questions to 2. The first question will be by Umegas san from Toyo Keizai. Mr.

Operator

Umegas san, please. Umegaki from Toyo Keizai. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. I have two questions, if I may.

Operator

Earlier, you talked about strengthening the share for the returns, including that enhancing enterprise view, I'd like to hear the view of Totoki san. Enterprise view value will be regarded as cash flow generation and discounted value in the future. As compared to the previous mid range plan, we'll be reducing investment and we'll be increasing returns to shareholders compared to the previous mid range plan. How are you going to enhance enterprise value if there's any change or differences in the thinking? Please explain.

Operator

Secondly, Paramount Group acquisition, according to the media report, I'm sure that there's limit to what you can share with us, But is it true that you are making proposals? And strengthening your entertainment business in the mid range plan, is there any consistency? Can you please comment on that, please? Thank you very much for your questions. First, as to the thinking about enterprise value.

Operator

Compared to the 4th mid range plan, I talked about the capital allocation earlier. CapEx will be slightly less this time. Also up the including the return of the working capital during the 5th mid range plan period as compared to the previous 3 years, basically, there will be a better cash flow position. So we will be utilizing that for return to the shareholders. That is the basic thinking.

Operator

Enterprise value has to be enhanced in a sustainable manner. 4th mid range plan period, we have been making investment in advance for the growth of the future. We have been sowing seeds for the growth in the future. In the 5th mid range plan, we'll be harvesting from the seed that we have sown in the previous mid range plan so that we can enhance the enterprise value in the future. That is the basic thinking behind coming up with the mid range plan.

Operator

And secondly, it's reported and we have not made any announcement at all. So specific deal, I would like to refrain from making any comment about specific deal. But on the other hand, lots of information are there. And at this point, our strategy, including the thinking of the capital allocation, I would like to comprehensively explain to you our thinking. Game and music and the pictures, with IP, we are going to generate synergy, which is a unique strength of Sony Group, and this is a core of our growth strategy.

Operator

Sony Pictures is a hub of generating synergy, And as an entity, this has an important position. Therefore, in this area, if there's any good opportunity, then appropriate value and return on investment can be expected. On that assumption, we consider possibilities, which is only too natural. However, in the 4th mid range plan, the capital allocation results in the past 3 years, 3 year strategic investment itself, excluding the share buyback, was JPY 1,300,000,000,000 of which three quarters were allocated to 3 entertainment segments. Music is the largest, followed by game and pictures about the same amount.

Operator

And the purpose of investment, IP acquisition is the largest in proportion. Roughly speaking, the next 3 years, the basic policy will be continued. That's what we have in mind. At the risk of being repetitive, the strategic investment for the 5th midrange plan, including flexible share buyback, is JPY 1,800,000,000,000. Within this amount, 3 years period, without focusing upon any particular segment, we'll be making strategic investment and flexible share buyback.

Operator

That is our basic thinking. So I do hope that you can understand our basic stance. That concludes my explanation. Thank you.

Speaker 1

Let's move on to the next question. And I do have 2 questions. The first one is as follows. In SIE, the restructuring reduction and how much impact on the impact on FY 2020 3 or 'twenty four? And then also, the as per today's announcement, and you made announcement about some people changes and does that conclude all the restructuring activities?

Speaker 1

And then also JPY 1,200,000,000,000 of strategic investment you mentioned, can you give us a breakdown by segment? Thank you very much for your questions. First, the SIE, the structural reform, and I think there's a question on that. In FY 'twenty three, and we have the double digit 100 of 1,000,000 of the structural reform expenses are recorded. And then also, that will continue into FY 2024.

Speaker 1

So for the most part, and I think we will need the same level of cost and expenses. And in FY 2025, there will be cost improvement. So for overall, in terms of cost improvement in FY 2025 onward, and we expect the cost improvement effects to materialize. And then as for the people changes, it's not really related and just announced, it's not directly related to the structural reform. And another the other question is about the strategic investment broken down by segment.

Speaker 1

And at this point in time, and we have a general idea, but we don't do not have the granular breakdown by segment. And then I think we need to make a decision at the opportune timing. But just looking back on the 3 years that have ended and looking at the breakdown, like I said, JPY 1,300,000,000,000 over the 3 years and then threefour is given to the 3 Entertainment segments. And then among 3 Entertainment segments, the Music is the largest, followed by Game and Pictures. So that will help you sort of visualize the strategic investment coming in the next 3 years.

Speaker 1

That's all.

Speaker 2

We'd like to take the next question from Asahi Newspaper, Tanaka san, please. I'm Tanaka from Asahi Newspaper. Can you hear me? Yes. Please go ahead.

Speaker 2

The first question is about the foreign exchange rate. The ForEx impact for the entire group in total for the sales and the income, what was the upward impact, the positive impact? And the weakening of the yen is accelerating. So how are you viewing this current trend, Mr. Totoki?

Speaker 2

And the second question is about the image sensor. It's performing well, and I'd like to ask you the reason. The smartphone market itself is shrinking. And especially FY 2023, the sales units are quite low, but the image sensor by Sony was doing well. So what was the reason for that?

Speaker 2

Thank you for your questions. First, on the ForEx impact, the details will be explained by Hayagawa. But regarding the weakening of the yen, my view is the following. When it comes to the ForEx, there is no control over that, so we will have to adapt to the situation. But if there is a rapid change, that is going to be unfavorable in managing a business.

Speaker 2

That is my view. Hayakawa san, please. Regarding the ForEx in the previous year's performance, the impact by that, FY 2023, the performance by segment, the material is showing the ForEx impact. So please take a look at that. Basically, last fiscal year versus dollar, the weakening of the yen was seen and also the dollar was weaker versus the euros.

Speaker 2

So on a consolidated basis in income, JPY 140,000,000,000 positive impact from ForEx came to us. That's all from my side. Thank you. Next on the INSS business related question. As you said rightly regarding the FY 2023, the smartphone market itself was not very not quite strong.

Speaker 2

And in FY 'twenty four and beyond, we believe that it will be recovering slowly. Our sensor business is performing well because the not because of the sales units of smartphones, but it's because of the main camera and large size dyes of such cameras. Regarding the wide angle cameras, it has become larger in size, but at the same time, the wide ultra wide angle as well as the telefono cameras, they will become larger in size. And as a result, our sensor demand will become stronger. That's all.

Operator

I'd like to move on to the next question. Bloomberg, Furukawa san, please. Furukawa from Bloomberg. Can you hear me? Yes, we can.

Operator

Thank you. It may be difficult to comment, I'm sure, but in addition to report on Paramount, in music also, Integra joining hands with Integra acquiring of Infocom's shares of Teixin. What is the fact and the deals? What is your thinking for the need of such deals? The second point, after that, recently yen is depreciating and overseas M and A will become difficult or are there opportunities to delaying M and A?

Operator

And are there only impact of the weaker yen upon M and A deal and are there concerns? These are my questions. Thank you for your questions. Report as to our media report, these are not what we have announced. So I'd like to refrain from making any comments.

Operator

I'm sorry for that. Now Miikka yen will have impact upon M and A overseas or is there going to be delay or postponement of consideration of M and A? What's your question? M and A overseas, basically, this is out out Return is also in foreign currency. Therefore, it's not so difficult for us to do.

Operator

But rather, in each currency, we set hurdle rate. Acquisition base return is to be looked at with the hurdle rate. So looking at the hurdle rate and determine whether we are going to do that or not. That's all. Thank you.

Speaker 1

And with limited time remaining, so we have one more question we have time for one more question. Hiroko san from Newspeak. Please go ahead. This is Hiroko from Newspeak, and I hope you can hear me. And I have questions about Image Sensor business.

Speaker 1

And on the profit and loss, the Image Sensor business seems to be doing fine. But when looking at the the cash flow, if my memory serves me right, in FY 'twenty three and for the 3 years in a row, the free cash flow was negative. And so basically, the cash flow coming in is smaller. And with the cash coming in, and that will increase the value of the asset. And then I believe and I would like to know whether this is a concern financially financials perspective.

Speaker 1

And then also, in Japan Display factory buyback, and I don't think you can talk about the specific. And in OLED display with a high level of resolution is being manufactured by you. And will this become the growth driver going forward following the image sensor? And what's your prospect on that? So let me answer your questions.

Speaker 1

The first question, So looking at our image sensor investment in our image sensor, basically, most of it is CapEx. And then so depending on the capital expenditure, the investment, of course, we need to do a demortization or amortization or depreciation. And so usually, the year of the depreciation is 5 years usually. So in other words, the goodwill on the balance sheet, the asset that will remain on the balance sheet for long term And depending on the company performance, we will decide to write off or not. That's different in nature.

Speaker 1

So for CapEx, and then there are we set our standards and we want to recoup the investment after 4 to 5 years, and that is one of the criteria for the investment. So the current investment that we are making, we don't have any concerns. And in addition to this, in the 5th and mid range plan, we expect the free cash flow to increase or improve and this will become a positive factor. And as for the OLED factory buyback, which could potentially become the next growth driver after imaging sensor. Well, still, this business is still small in scale, and I don't expect that to make a significant contribution or same level of contribution as the imaging.

Speaker 1

But with this, I think there will be an opportunity to go in take on new challenges and going into new devices. So we would like to take on the challenge for the mid- to long term perspective. And now the time has come, I would like to conclude the Q and A session for the members of the media. The Q and A session for Investors and Analysts will start at 5 P. M.

Speaker 2

We will begin the Q and A with investors and analysts shortly. Thank you very much for waiting. We now begin the Q and A with investors and analysts. I will be serving as a moderator. I'm Kondo from IR Division.

Speaker 2

These are the 3 presenters who will be answering your questions, the same as the presenters from the media session. The process of asking questions as well as the procedures are already shown in the handout, And please limit your questions to 2. We now begin the Q and A. From JPMorgan, Ayada san, please. Thank you very much.

Speaker 2

I'm Ayada from JPMorgan. I have two questions related to mid range plan. The first question on game. Mr. Totoki earlier said that for the next 3 years, the focused KPI will be software and network service in the game segment.

Speaker 2

So for these two areas, for the next 3 years, what kind of past or growth are you expecting? For example, in software, the Play title will be at the juncture this year, but Concorde and other live services were introduced earlier. Do you think that there will be growth in this area? And beyond the next fiscal year onward, AAA titles, is that what you are expecting highly? Similarly for network, it's not clear how many members you can expect, but what is your view for the next fiscal year?

Speaker 2

The second question, you talked about the CapEx and the depreciation period will be 5 years. On the other hand, the strategic investment, especially the studio acquisition and other acquisitions related return time line, what is your view on that? Listening to your presentation, you said that in the previous 3 year period, the return on the studio acquisition can be gained in the next fiscal year next 3 years, excuse me. So what is the time line? Do you think that it will be 3 years or 5 years to get the return from the investment?

Speaker 2

And are you going to keep that in mind as you make investment? That's the second question. Thank you for your questions. First, the software and network service. Software, the 1st party and third party, that's how we should distinguish them.

Speaker 2

The 3rd party software, we believe that we are going to move along with the market growth, so we will grow in line with the growth of the market. That is at the center of our plan. As for the 1st party softwares, for FY 'twenty five and 'twenty six, the tentpole like titles and live services will be launched. So for FY 'twenty five and 'twenty six, so this fiscal year is 2024. So in 'twenty five and 'twenty six fiscal years, the 1st party software related revenue will be larger than this fiscal year.

Speaker 2

That is our expectation that's incorporated into this plan. And another point is about network service. So all in all, MAU growth versus the MAU growth, we believe that our growth will be linear to that. So unless MAU grows, then our segment grow business will not grow, but MAU is slowly growing. That is our understanding.

Speaker 2

So in the previous year, we announced the price increase and impact positive impact from that will be gained. So the market as a whole, software growth is 1, but we believe that our growth will be stronger in terms of value. That is our rough idea. And next on the return on our investment and our view on that is the following. So studio acquisition, basically, the 1st party software lineup needs to be ramped up.

Speaker 2

So for this reason, we are making investment in the area, and we are continuing to develop this area. And originally, we expected some return, but whether we can gain the originally expected return or not has been validated. In the previous year's track record, IRR on the studio acquisition was relatively high, all in all. But the issue is that based on the return is not yielded based on the original expectation because yield has slippages. The brushing up of the titles and also the quality may not be as high as expected by the users, so we have to brush up the titles.

Speaker 2

So there has been more slippages than we expected at the beginning. So we have to factor them in. For the next 3 years period, how effectively can we make a portfolio, build our portfolio? That's going to be important. That's all.

Operator

We'd like to move on to the next question. Bureau of A Securities, Hiroka san, please. Thank you. Hiraka from Bureau of A Securities. Two questions.

Operator

First is about game. In game, Pier 4 user base is to be maintained. So in the you will come up with a record high in the next mid range plan. Active user base is 118,000,000, exceeding 59,000,000. But PS4, PSI, 3rd party burden is there as well.

Operator

Why is it that the way of profit generated is going to be different from the previous console cycle in order to realize record high profit? What are you going to focus upon? That's my first question. 2nd question, I and SSS, a good impact of the larger size, I understand, but the share increase from 2020 in China other than fair fairway, you have increased market share. The real semiconductor is there and high end entered into high end area as well.

Operator

And the share expansion is continuing in China or you have come to a plateau in China. Can you please enlighten us as to that point as well? Firstly, PS4. In my presentation, I talked about the growth during the PS4 and PS5 and the growth in that generation. I have explained in different ways.

Operator

In the past, PS compared to PS4, the way of profit generated is as follows: At the time of PS4, basically, network service was expanded. PS5, we continue with the we succeeded the expanded base. So the launch pad is already high and the cruising speed is going to become the cruising speed based upon that launch pad. But in that, what was difficult to forecast is the impact of COVID-nineteen and the tailwind. Game market, whether this will lead to increase in the game market or it's a temporary tailwind.

Operator

There was a discussion back then as well. And then in addition to that, specific titles, live service titles, big hit was a tailwind. So it was very difficult to see the actual underlying trend. But what we are focusing upon now is what we call platform health, for instance, MAU, play time. Whether these are stable or not and whether these are expanding, these are the important indicators.

Operator

And number of data points are set and we analyze the data and maintain platform health and healthy grow. That is a core of our strategy. Therefore, cumulative sales unit is 59,000,000 units or plus compared to MAU. Still, about half of the people are playing this on PS4. So console generation overlap will be handled well and MAU will steadily increase.

Operator

We will be managing in this way going forward. And then I and SSS. Now visavis specific customer in China, you are not able to sell unless you have a license. So with the technology, it is not a market where we can compete freely with the technology that we have. So it's very difficult to analyze competitors' movement.

Operator

It's not that we are operating in a free market. So what we do is to try and increase our market share in the market where we can compete

Speaker 1

freely. Thank you very much. Let's move on to Nakane san of Mizuho Securities. Securities. And I do have two questions about game.

Speaker 1

The first one is Banji. The new title will be released in the next this year in the fiscal year, and that will be crucial. And then sales and then profit, when are you planning to hit the breakeven? And also, your costs, and I think which peaked last year, for the next 3 years and including this fiscal year, what sort of costs are you expecting to spend? And then second question is the new August structures for game in Nishino san and Atano san, and then what are the hosts on what are the strengths that they have?

Speaker 1

And what are the key changes from their successors? And I'm sure they are going to talk about their resolution at the next meeting, But what's your expectation to talk from Tokoyaki san's perspective? And 2, sustainable growth and then also margin growth. And then there's a really productive comments about not understanding that. So what sort of changes that led to these changes in the personnel?

Speaker 1

And if you could just talk about your perspective on this, that will be great. So first, with regards to Banji, In FY 'twenty three, and there's no profit contribution. And of course, and we are developing a new IP, new contents, and this will become a really significantly launched title, so we need to really carefully evaluate that. But in FY 2024 and at this moment, we are not really expecting any contribution or profit contribution from it. But the development capability and then also operational capabilities, and there will be significant contribution in this upcoming release in July.

Speaker 1

And there's one title that we are planning to release in July, so we will take and wait and see approach and how that would be. And then also the recruitment of the cost of the acquisition. And currently, the JPY 52,000,000,000 based on the current exchange rate is expected. And this will gradually decline in phases. But for the most part, in FY 'twenty three, the first half, of course, the cost will continue to be needed.

Speaker 1

But every year, there would be expected decline by 20% to 30%. And for the new org structure, and the JPY 52,000,000,000 is the acquisition cost that includes acquisition outside of Vansi. And in GN and S Organization, And the reason why I picked these 2 individual and in platform business and in studio business, they have a really strong background and in talents and in experience and in insights. And so what would be the expected changes under the new the organization? Now we have the 2 leaders at the top.

Speaker 1

And SIE will grow has grown significantly in size and scale. And also, the PS Studio, the business strategy and the need for that will continue to increase. So we need to be able to make sure that our decisions are made in a timely manner and a really granular manner. So that's why we have picked 2 leaders, and that's my expectation. And in both of them, we'll become a really excellent talent that will create the next generation of our business, and I have a huge hope and expectations for them.

Speaker 1

And also and I made some really difficult comments previously. And to deliver a record high profit in the 5th MRP. And now that we I was personally involved in SIE, and I gained a first order experience and then connected a lot of people. And I believe that there are many talents in the organization. They are highly motivated.

Speaker 1

So and both of them will quite are quite motivated to deliver a record high profit. And I'm sure they are thinking a lot about this. And then from an objective perspective and given the current situation, I don't think well, naturally, the record high profit can be delivered. That's all I have.

Speaker 2

Since the time is running out, we will take only one question by each questionnaire from now on. Now, Ezoa san from Citigroup, please. I'm Ezoa from Citigroup. So I will ask one question. Semiconductor, ROIC 10%, that's the plan for the new fiscal year.

Speaker 2

So from the profit plan wise, the invested capital will increase to about 2,000,000,000,000 yen. That is my understanding. So that's the plan for this fiscal year. But for the mid range plan, for the next mid range plan period, the capital invested may continue to be on the level of JPY 100,000,000,000 increase on a yearly basis. Would that be the case?

Speaker 2

Thank you for your question. The CapEx, I already explained that earlier. So the about 70% level of the 4th mid range plan will continue. As for the increase of the invested capital, basically, we have grown the sales significantly, which means that the business scale will grow as well. Accordingly, the capital invested will also increase naturally.

Speaker 2

The invested capital, the absolute value increasing is not the focus, but rather whether it is leading to the appropriate increase of the business as well as the margin increase, that will be the key focus. That will be more important. But of course, if when we reach peak, then we will have to get return from the invested capital. So that's what we have demonstrated in the game business. And I believe that the invest capital investment will become slower.

Speaker 2

So we will maintain the soundness of the financial status and maintain our competitiveness as we invest our capital to grow our business. That's all.

Operator

Next person will be the last person to ask a question. SMBC's Nikko Securities. Katsura san, please. Thank you. Katsura from SMBC Nikko Securities.

Operator

One question. So about capital allocation and total payout ratio in the final year, 40%, you are setting 40%. What is the background and your thinking behind this? In the past 3 years, what was the actual numbers in the past 3 years? And what is the background for coming to the target of 40% total payout ratio?

Operator

Final year, the mid range plan, the 40% total payout ratio. As I talked about capital allocation later and explained at this point, for the next 3 years, operating cash flow will be increased, which will be the source for capital allocation, and the CapEx will not increase as much. And for strategic investment, we will be selective in making strategic investments and rather, we will come to a phase where we'll be able to see results and reap results from the investment made in the past. Hence, we'll be making return to the investors, including the past 3 years. Hayakawa san, could you please explain give some supplementary comments?

Operator

Thank you, Kamikazura san. Total payout ratio in the previous mid range plan, FY 2021 was 19% and 19% for FY 2022. Last 2023 FY 2023, JPY 200,000,000,000 of buyback included 32%. As Totoki said, operating cash flow will increase in the next 3 years and also investment. We'll be looking at the efficiency of investment.

Operator

We'll make investment, but well balanced capital allocation will be done and strengthened return to the shareholders. Therefore, in FY 'twenty six, we are going to achieve 40%. That is the plan and the background of thinking in that way. Thank you. With this, we'd like to conclude Sony Group Corporation's financial results announcement.

Operator

I thank you very much for joining us today.

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Earnings Conference Call
Sony Group Q4 2024
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