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Sumitomo Corporation (8053) — moat facet

Sumitomo's automotive profit halves this year once a one-off gain is gone.

Automotive earned ¥51.8 billion in the year to March 2024, ¥51.2 billion in 2025 and ¥63.2 billion in 202612. Its revenue was ¥616.9 billion and its assets ¥861.7 billion3, a return of about 7.3%4, the highest of the segments on that measure.

Automotive underlying profit (¥ bn, years to March)50.0202538.0202633.02027 forecastExcludes the Midas gain and other one-off items; Sumitomo results presentation, May 2026
Last year's gain makes this year look weak.

The latest year included a gain of about ¥28 billion on selling Midas and a write-off of about ¥10 billion of non-performing loans in the automotive finance business in Indonesia5. The segment's steady businesses include Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service, 40.43% owned, which earned ¥9.6 billion6.

The forecast for the current year is ¥34.0 billion7, and the first quarter earned ¥11.7 billion against ¥39.7 billion8. Management sees upside in the segment9.

The segment's underlying profit fell from ¥50.0 billion to ¥38.0 billion in the latest year and is forecast at ¥33.0 billion10. The company cites intensified competition in key markets11, and its Toyota business in Iraq is exposed to the conflict12.

The measure is the forecast. ¥34.0 billion without one-off gains would be the segment's underlying level; management's upside would take it higher.

Moat trajectory: Narrowing

The forecast is about half the latest year's profit.

The number that tests this moat
Reported
Automotive profit, April-June 2026
¥11.7bn against ¥39.7bn

The prior-year quarter included the Midas gain; the forecast is ¥34.0 billion.

Source: Sumitomo Corporation first-quarter presentation, July 2026 ↗
References
  1. ReportedAutomotive earned ¥51.8 billion in the year to March 2024, ¥51.2 billion in 2025 and ¥63.2 billion in 2026.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Consolidated Financial Results for the year ended March 31, 2025 (IFRS) - including restated segment information for the year to March 2024. — FY to March 2025 · publ. May 2025 · source ↗
  2. ReportedAutomotive earned ¥51.8 billion in the year to March 2024, ¥51.2 billion in 2025 and ¥63.2 billion in 2026.
    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 ↗
  3. ReportedIts revenue was ¥616.9 billion and its assets ¥861.7 billion, a return of about 7.3%, the highest of the segments on that measure.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Annual Financial Report for the year to March 2026 - segment information and revenue by geography and type. — FY to March 2026 · publ. June 2026 · source ↗
  4. Moat Explorer calcIts revenue was ¥616.9 billion and its assets ¥861.7 billion, a return of about 7.3%, the highest of the segments on that measure.
    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.
  5. ReportedThe latest year included a gain of about ¥28 billion on selling Midas and a write-off of about ¥10 billion of non-performing loans in the automotive finance business in Indonesia.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - leasing and aviation: SMFL, SMBC Aviation Capital, the lessor rankings, Air Lease and the automotive businesses. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  6. ReportedThe segment's steady businesses include Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service, 40.43% owned, which earned ¥9.6 billion.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - leasing and aviation: SMFL, SMBC Aviation Capital, the lessor rankings, Air Lease and the automotive businesses. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  7. ReportedThe forecast for the current year is ¥34.0 billion, and the first quarter earned ¥11.7 billion against ¥39.7 billion.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - consolidated results, underlying profit, forecasts, sensitivities and the loss buffer. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  8. ReportedThe forecast for the current year is ¥34.0 billion, and the first quarter earned ¥11.7 billion against ¥39.7 billion.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for April-June 2026 - progress against the forecast, one-time items, the Madagascar sale, investment and the balance sheet. — April-June 2026 · publ. 31 July 2026 · source ↗
  9. ReportedManagement sees upside in the segment.
    Sumitomo Corporation, Q&A of the April-June 2026 results - the Middle East impact and the Energy Transformation earnings level. — April-June 2026 · publ. 2026 · source ↗
  10. ReportedThe segment's underlying profit fell from ¥50.0 billion to ¥38.0 billion in the latest year and is forecast at ¥33.0 billion.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - consolidated results, underlying profit, forecasts, sensitivities and the loss buffer. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
  11. ReportedThe company cites intensified competition in key markets, and its Toyota business in Iraq is exposed to the conflict.
    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 ↗
  12. ReportedThe company cites intensified competition in key markets, and its Toyota business in Iraq is exposed to the conflict.
    Sumitomo Corporation, results presentation for the year to March 2026 - leasing and aviation: SMFL, SMBC Aviation Capital, the lessor rankings, Air Lease and the automotive businesses. — FY to March 2026 · publ. May 2026 · source ↗
Sources
Generated September 24, 2026