Notice of Revisions of Consolidated Financial Forecasts and Year-end Dividend

Rhea-AI Summary

Square Enix Holdings has revised its financial forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, reflecting increased operating income driven by a surge in "FINAL FANTASY XIV" subscribers and strong merchandise sales. The revised forecasts include net sales of ¥340 billion and operating income of ¥50 billion, marking a 25% increase. The company also announced a year-end dividend of ¥78 per share, contributing to an annual dividend of ¥88 per share, up from the previous forecast of ¥61. The updates are based on recent market trends and adjusted foreign exchange assumptions.

Positive

• Increased operating income forecast to ¥50 billion, up 25% from previous estimates.
• Year-end dividend revised to ¥78 per share, leading to an annual total of ¥88 per share.

Negative

• None.

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (the “Company”) had released consolidated financial forecasts and a projected year-end dividend for the fiscal year through March 31, 2022 (April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022) on May 13, 2021, but now announces the following revisions made to reflect recent earnings trends.

1. Revisions to Consolidated Financial Forecasts for the Fiscal Year through March 31, 2022

(April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022)

(Millions of yen, percentage change, and per share data)
				Net sales		Operating Income		Ordinary Income		Profit attributable to owners of parent		Earnings per share
Previous forecasts		(A)		340,000		40,000		40,000		24,000		201.10
Revised forecasts		(B)		340,000		50,000		50,000		35,000		292.90
Change		(B-A)		―		10,000		10,000		11,000
Percentage change		(%)		―		25.0%		25.0%		45.8%
[Reference] Results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021				332,532		47,226		49,983		26,942		225.75

2. Reasons for the Revisions

The Company now expects higher operating income than previously anticipated under its consolidated financial forecasts for the fiscal year through March 31, 2022. Among the factors contributing to this revision are substantial growth in the number of paying subscribers for “FINAL FANTASY XIV” and brisk expansion pack sales in the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) Game sub-segment, as well as sales of character merchandise based on the Company’s own content exceeding its initial expectations in the Merchandising segment. The Company also expects higher ordinary income and profit attributable to owners of parent than it had previously forecast, in part because the yen has been weaker than the Company had initially assumed. Lastly, the Company’s outlook has been updated to reflect the spread of COVID-19, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, the competitive environment, etc.

*The above forecasts are based on information available at the time of this document’s release and are subject to various uncertainties. As such, actual performance may differ from these forecasts.

3. Revision of Projected Dividend Per Share for the Fiscal Year through March 31, 2022

	Interim	Year-end	Annual
Previous Forecasts (May 13, 2021)	－	￥51.00	￥61.00
Revised Forecasts	－	￥78.00	￥88.00
Actual Results for the current FY	￥10.00	－	－
Actual Results for the previous FY (FY2021/3)	￥10.00	￥68.00 (ordinary dividend ￥ 58.00) (special dividend ￥ 10.00)	￥78.00 (ordinary dividend ￥ 68.00) (special dividend ￥ 10.00)

4. Reasons for the Revision

The Company recognizes the return of profits to shareholders as one of its most important management tasks and has set a consolidated payout ratio target of approximately 30% to guide its shareholder return policy for the fiscal year through March 31, 2022.

Given the aforementioned revisions to its consolidated financial forecasts, the Company revises its projected year-end dividend for the fiscal year to 78 yen per share, which would make for an annual dividend per share of 88 yen.

(EOF)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220204005150/en/

Kiyono MARIKO

Corporate Communications, SQUARE ENIX

PR-HD@square-enix.com

Source: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

FAQ

What are Square Enix's updated financial forecasts for fiscal year 2022?

Square Enix projects net sales of ¥340 billion and operating income of ¥50 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.

What is the new dividend amount for Square Enix?

The revised year-end dividend is ¥78 per share, making the total annual dividend ¥88 per share.

What factors influenced Square Enix's financial forecast revisions?

The revisions were influenced by the growth in "FINAL FANTASY XIV" subscribers, strong merchandise sales, and a weaker yen.

When will Square Enix pay the new dividend?

The dividend payment date will be announced in accordance with company policy, typically after the fiscal year-end.