Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel Ltd has issued its financial results for the first half ended September 30 of the financial year 2023-24.
For the given period, Kobe Steel has reported a net profit of JPY 80.3 billion ($532.73 million), decreasing from the net profit of JPY 28 billion recorded in the same period of the previous financial year. The company’s consolidated net sales revenues for the first half of the financial year amounted to JPY 1.25 trillion ($8.32 billion), rising by 7.2 percent year on year, due to improvements in selling prices.
Kobe Steel produced 3.09 million mt of crude steel in the period in question, down 1.9 percent year on year. Kobe’s steel product sales volume in the given period fell by 1.2 percent year on year to 2.47 million, due to a decline in demand, except from the automotive sector.
The company expects consolidated sales revenues at JPY 1.31 trillion for the second half and JPY 2.57 trillion for the financial year 2023-24. Kobe Steel’s crude steel production is expected to be about 5.95 million mt for the financial year. The company’s sales volume is expected to total about 4.75 million mt in the given year, due to a decline in demand outside the automotive sector.