⚠ ¥723 Billion Off EquityModerate threat

Sumitomo Corporation (8053) — threat to the moat

Sumitomo's SCSK purchase erased a year's profit from its equity, which makes its return on equity look better.

Under IFRS, buying out minority shareholders of a company already controlled does not create goodwill; the difference between the price and the book value of the minority interest is taken directly from equity. For SCSK, ¥722,658 million of the ¥879,449 million consideration was recognised against additional paid-in capital1.

Equity ratio (%, March)40.3202440.0202533.92026Sumitomo results, years to March 2025 and 2026
Six points lower in one year.

The effect is visible in the balance sheet. Equity attributable to shareholders was ¥4,648.5 billion at March 2025 and ¥4,628.6 billion at March 20262, despite ¥600.3 billion of profit3. The equity ratio fell from 40.0% to 33.9%4.

A smaller equity base raises return on equity mechanically, which flatters the 12.9% the company reported5.

Without the charge, equity would have risen strongly. Comprehensive income, which includes currency gains on foreign assets, was ¥1,029,631 million in the latest year against ¥468,960 million the year before6. About seven-tenths of that increase in value, ¥722.7 billion, went to buying out SCSK's minority shareholders78.

The measure is the equity ratio. The company plans to restore financial soundness to its March 2025 level over the three years to March 20299.

References
  1. ReportedFor SCSK, ¥722,658 million of the ¥879,449 million consideration was recognised against additional paid-in capital.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Annual Financial Report for the year to March 2026 - consolidated financial statements and notes, including the SCSK acquisition accounting. — FY to March 2026 · publ. June 2026 · source ↗
  2. ReportedEquity attributable to shareholders was ¥4,648.5 billion at March 2025 and ¥4,628.6 billion at March 2026, despite ¥600.3 billion of profit.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Annual Financial Report for the year to March 2026 - consolidated financial statements and notes, including the SCSK acquisition accounting. — FY to March 2026 · publ. June 2026 · source ↗
  3. ReportedEquity attributable to shareholders was ¥4,648.5 billion at March 2025 and ¥4,628.6 billion at March 2026, despite ¥600.3 billion of profit.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Consolidated Financial Results for the year ended March 31, 2026 (IFRS) - results, segment profit, the financial position, dividends, the share split and the forecast for the year to March 2027. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  4. ReportedThe equity ratio fell from 40.0% to 33.9%.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Consolidated Financial Results for the year ended March 31, 2026 (IFRS) - results, segment profit, the financial position, dividends, the share split and the forecast for the year to March 2027. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  5. ReportedA smaller equity base raises return on equity mechanically, which flatters the 12.9% the company reported.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Consolidated Financial Results for the year ended March 31, 2026 (IFRS) - results, segment profit, the financial position, dividends, the share split and the forecast for the year to March 2027. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  6. ReportedComprehensive income, which includes currency gains on foreign assets, was ¥1,029,631 million in the latest year against ¥468,960 million the year before.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Consolidated Financial Results for the year ended March 31, 2026 (IFRS) - results, segment profit, the financial position, dividends, the share split and the forecast for the year to March 2027. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  7. ReportedAbout seven-tenths of that increase in value, ¥722.7 billion, went to buying out SCSK's minority shareholders.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Annual Financial Report for the year to March 2026 - consolidated financial statements and notes, including the SCSK acquisition accounting. — FY to March 2026 · publ. June 2026 · source ↗
  8. Moat Explorer calcAbout seven-tenths of that increase in value, ¥722.7 billion, went to buying out SCSK's minority shareholders.
    Moat Explorer calculation from Sumitomo Corporation's reported figures. Per-share figures divided by four for the 1 July 2026 split: EPS 499.09 / 4 = 124.77, 463.66 / 4 = 115.92; DPS 150 / 4 = 37.5. Trailing twelve months to June 2026: profit 600.3 - 170.9 + 190.1 = 619.5; revenue 7,337.3 - 1,787.9 + 1,949.4 = 7,498.8; EPS 124.77 - 35.29 + 39.95 = 129.43. Market value at March year-ends (close x shares issued, including treasury shares): 1,118.5 x 1,250.6m = ¥1,399bn (2016), 5,780 x 1,211.4m = ¥7,002bn (2026); P/E 1,399 / 74.5 = 18.8 and 7,002 / 600.3 = 11.7. Trailing P/E 8.51 trillion / 619.5 billion = 13.7; P/S 8.51 / 7.4988 = 1.13. Revenue by region, year to March 2026: Japan 2,840,605 / 7,337,259 = 38.7%; United States 1,391,341 / 7,337,259 = 19.0%. Equity-method profit over profit before tax: 266.7 / 702.0 = 38%. Mineral share of underlying profit: 99 / 524 = 19%. Profit growth over two years: 600.3 / 386.4 = 1.55. Profit against the plan target: 630.0 / 650.0 = 97%. Lifestyle and corporate band: 14.1 - 4.5 = 9.6 (2025) and -3.6 + 33.5 = 29.9 (2026). Largest four segments, year to March 2026: 102.4 + 88.9 + 82.3 + 81.5 = 355.1, 59% of 600.3. Berkshire market value over cost: 4,022 / 1,907 = 2.1 times; dividends on cost 102 / 1,907 = 5.3%. SCSK premium: 5,700 / 4,359 - 1 = 30.8%. Share count since 2013: 1,195.1m pre-split equivalent against 1,250.6m = -4.4%. Buyback: 47.65m shares against 4,780.5m issued = 1.0%. Q1 progress: 190.1 / 630.0 = 30%. Segment return on assets, year to March 2026: Energy Transformation 102.4 / 1,977.8 = 5.2%; Steel 74.3 / 1,199.5 = 6.2%; Automotive 63.2 / 861.7 = 7.3%; Transportation & Construction Systems 88.9 / 1,874.9 = 4.7%; Diverse Urban Development 81.5 / 1,792.9 = 4.5%; Media & Digital 51.2 / 1,492.7 = 3.4%; Mineral Resources 82.3 / 2,463.7 = 3.3%; Chemical Solutions 26.5 / 942.7 = 2.8%. Dividend per share, split-adjusted: 70 / 4 = 17.5 (2021) to 150 / 4 = 37.5 (2026) and 40 forecast; 37.5 / 17.5 = 2.1 times. Commercial Aviation underlying: 38.7 / 19.7 = 1.96 times. Eight growth areas: 382.7 / 279.9 - 1 = 36.7%. Low-ROIC capital: ¥3.0 bn / ¥1 trillion = 0.3%. Commercial Aviation forecast increase: 38.7 - 19.7 = 19.0; 19.0 / 330 = 5.8%. SCSK charge against comprehensive income: 722.7 / 1,029.6 = 70%. SCSK price rise: (5,700 - 5,050) x 154.7m = ¥100.6bn. Construction systems margin: 18.8 / 718.3 = 2.6%. Planned investment raised from 1.8 to 3.0 trillion = +67%. Low-return plus asset-turnover capital: (1.0 + 0.7) / 9.44 = 18%. Eight growth areas forecast increase: 382.7 - 305.0 = 77.7, against 15.0 added in the latest year. Forecast dividends over forecast profit: 191.0 / 630.0 = 30.3%. Value against the big three: 8.51 / 17.62 = 0.48, 8.51 / 14.63 = 0.58; their value over Sumitomo's 1.72-2.07; profit 619.05 / 936.38 = 0.66 and 619.05 / 895.86 = 0.69. Low-ROIC capital against total invested capital: 1.0 / 9.44 = 10.6%. — FY to March 2026 · publ. September 2026 · source ↗
    Method: Arithmetic on figures reported in Sumitomo Corporation's results, presentations, annual financial report and market data; operands shown in the source line.
  9. ReportedThe company plans to restore financial soundness to its March 2025 level over the three years to March 2029.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - cash allocation, asset replacement, shareholder returns and the financial-soundness target. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
Sources
Generated September 24, 2026