ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION

In the Tokyo stock market on the 9th, Accel, Happinet, Asahi Yukizai, NSD, and NaITO were bought after raising their earnings forecasts the previous day. Accel hit the daily limit-up with pro-rata allocation, lifting its first-half operating profit from a previous forecast of 970 million yen to 1.33 billion yen and its full-year figure from 1.2 billion yen to 2.29 billion yen, while also raising its annual dividend from 41 yen to 79 yen. Happinet raised its first-half operating profit from 7.8 billion yen to 13.5 billion yen; Asahi Yukizai lifted its first-half figure from 3.9 billion yen to 5.5 billion yen and its full-year figure from 8.5 billion yen to 12 billion yen, and increased its annual dividend from 130 yen to 180 yen. NSD raised its first-half operating profit from 8.4 billion yen to 8.9 billion yen and its full-year figure from 19.5 billion yen to 20.1 billion yen, while NaITO revised its full-year operating profit forecast upward from 400 million yen to 1.25 billion yen. Meanwhile, MediciNova hit the daily limit-down with pro-rata allocation after its Phase 2 clinical trial of MN-001 failed to show statistical superiority, and Chugai Pharmaceutical fell sharply for a second day after Roche decided to discontinue development of GYM329, a candidate treatment for obesity.

Among the companies that reported earnings after the close on September 28, several were highlighted as likely to be well received by the market for strong results or dividend increases. Accel raised its consolidated ordinary profit forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027 by 85.0%, from 1.27 billion yen to 2.35 billion yen, now projecting a 31.1% profit increase after a prior decline, and lifted its year-end lump-sum dividend from 41 yen to 79 yen. Asahi Yukizai raised its ordinary profit forecast for the same period by 41.4%, from 8.7 billion yen to 12.3 billion yen, and increased its annual dividend from 130 yen to 180 yen. Happinet raised its ordinary profit forecast for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 2027 by 68.8%, from 8.0 billion yen to 13.5 billion yen, now expecting a 51.4% profit increase and a sixth consecutive record first-half profit. Naito revised its ordinary profit forecast for the fiscal year ending February 2027 upward threefold, from 430 million yen to 1.3 billion yen, now projecting a 2.9-fold profit increase. NSD raised its ordinary profit forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027 by 3.6%, from 19.7 billion yen to 20.4 billion yen, adding to an eighth consecutive record profit projection, and increased its year-end lump-sum dividend from 97 yen to 100 yen.