[OoKU]

https://www.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/com/IR/financial_data/financial_re.../q4_report.pdf

FY2018
Flash Report

---------- Post added 05-09-19 at 01:02 AM ----------

Other
This segment encompasses the Industrial Products business, which focuses on the automotive sector, and the Smart Vision business, whichfocuses on the real estate sector. This segment is expanding its customer base by drawing on our strengths in capturing and image processingtechnologies to supply optical devices. In Smart Vision, we launched the THETA 360.biz official partner program. Our application for virtualproperty tours has expanded business applications for our 360° camera and has been very well received. The Other segment also coversfinance business operated by affiliates.Other segment sales for the year declined 15.5%, to ¥173.0 billion. This reflected the change to equity method accounting for consolidatedsemiconductor and logistics subsidiaries whose shares we transferred. In the absence of such a change to equity method accounting, revenueswould have increased, including from steady growth in the domestic finance business and expanded Industrial Products sales of opticalmodules to the automotive sector.Segment operating profit increased 72.5%, to ¥17.3 billion, a prime driver being a gain on sales of shares in Ricoh Logistics System.

[Mistral75]

the Smart Vision business, which focuses on the real estate sector.

Let's wait for the Presentation document.

[OoKU]

Ricoh is a B2B company.
Ricoh imaging will be a B2B company.

[Mistral75]

The problem being, we are Cs here... Consumers, as in B2C.

[Mistral75]

Concerning Smart Vision's focus (no pun intended) on real estate, see also RICOH Tours | Create virtual real estate tours in minutes.

[OoKU]

Financial Announcement | Global | Ricoh

Presentation
Consolidated Results*

[Mistral75]

Direct link to the presentation document: https://www.ricoh.com/-/Media/Ricoh/Sites/com/IR/data/pre/pdf/h31q4_1.pdf

Two pages are worth reproducing, in particular the second one.





Smart Vision did well during Q4 of FY2018 (January-March 2019) with a 4.4% increase in sales whilst the market was down by 20.7% (CIPA shipments).



This is most probably due to the positive impact of the new products made available during the quarter:

• HD Pentax-DA★ 11-18mm f/2.8 ED DC AW
• HD Pentax-FA 35 mm f/2
• and, last but not least, Ricoh GR III

Ricoh are forecasting a growth for Smart Vision in FY2019 but this seems to mainly come from the Theta ecosystem.

In cauda venenum: I must confess I don't fancy the implications of the 'Improve profitability of the digital camera business' so-called initiative.

[clackers]

In cauda venenum: I must confess I don't fancy the implications of the 'Improve profitability of the digital camera business' so-called initiative.

Code for cut costs, and concentrate on premium products with bigger markups!

To actually raise their profit in a small way while Sony, Nikon and Canon were crashing does say something about the executives at Ricoh.

[Mistral75]

Code for cut costs, and concentrate on premium products with bigger markups!

(...)

Indeed!

(...)

To actually raise their profit in a small way while Sony, Nikon and Canon were crashing does say something about the executives at Ricoh.

It's a goal for the new fiscal year, not an achievement.

[clackers]

It's a goal for the new fiscal year, not an achievement.

Q4 was a +4.4% achievement, not a forecast, right?

[Mistral75]

Q4 was a +4.4% achievement, not a forecast, right?

Right but those were sales, not profit.

(...)

To actually raise their profit in a small way while Sony, Nikon and Canon were crashing does say something about the executives at Ricoh.

[clackers]

Right but those were sales, not profit.

Ok ... do we know what Canon, Nikon and Sony sales were like?

[Mistral75]

Yes we do, save for Panasonic (they don't report on this specific activity).

Olympus Imaging are in deep trouble with declining sales, operating losses (including one-offs) amounting to half of the sales (!) and break-even expected only by the second half of the current fiscal year (and when one remembers the usual overoptimism of Olympus's forecasts...). Their strategy is clearly stated in their presentation: 'Transforming into A Truly Global Medical Technology (Medtech) Company'

[RonHendriks1966]

Well that looks good to me. The Q4 was probably good because they sold (most or all) the initial production run of the GRIII of 15.000 units to their customers (those are shops and intermediat business that supply shops). For Ricoh-Imaging that is a solid sale.

We will see how they improve the profitability over the coming year. There are many ways to achieve that.

I do like their business approach with the Ricoh Theta Z1. There is money to make in real estate sales.

[Reed]

Release of HD FA 35 revamp might be also a nice contributor of sales profit within camera equipment part because the lens is probably not charged with any serious R&D costs.