Financial Data and Key Indicator Changes - For the first nine months of fiscal year 2024, net revenue was JPY 9.1 trillion, operating profit decreased to JPY 64 billion, and net income decreased to JPY 5.1 billion [14][70]. - Consolidated net revenue was flat at JPY 9 trillion, with a negative operating margin of 1.8% [17][73]. - Auto free cash flow year-to-date was negative JPY 506 billion, with net cash in the auto segment at JPY 1.2 trillion [17][73]. Business Line Data and Key Indicator Changes - Global retail sales decreased by less than 2% to 2.4 million units year-to-date, with a slight increase in unit sales when excluding China [15][71]. - North America saw a growth of 2.4%, offsetting declines in Japan and Europe [15][72]. - Retail sales for Q3 alone, excluding China, increased nearly 2%, particularly with a close to 10% increase in North America [16][72]. Market Data and Key Indicator Changes - The market in China remains challenging, contributing to a decline in retail sales [15][72]. - The company maintains its outlook for retail sales of 3.4 million units and global production of 3.2 million units for fiscal year 2024, despite trimming net revenue outlook by JPY 200 billion [21][78]. Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company has decided to terminate discussions for business integration with Honda due to concerns over autonomy and maximizing Nissan's potential [9][12]. - The revised sales assumption for the midterm plan is now set at 3.5 million units for fiscal year 2026, down from 4.5 million units [27][84]. - The company aims to achieve a 4% operating margin by reducing variable expenses by JPY 100 billion and fixed costs by JPY 300 billion [30][86]. Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the competitive challenges in the industry but sees signs of progress with new vehicle launches contributing positively [20][77]. - The company expects to maintain or slightly increase operating profit compared to 2024 levels, despite boosting sales volume [85][86]. - Future risks include FOREX volatility, regulatory costs, and fixed costs, which could impact revenue and profit [85][86]. Other Important Information - The company plans to reduce headcount by 5,300 in fiscal year 2025 and 1,200 in fiscal year 2026 as part of its restructuring efforts [36][90]. - Global production capacity is expected to decrease by 20% from 5 million units to 4 million units by fiscal year 2026 [93][95]. - The company is focusing on launching new models, including a plug-in hybrid version of Rogue and a new energy vehicle in China [46][104]. Q&A Session Summary Question: What was the reason behind the unsuccessful business integration with Honda? - Management explained that the initial plan was to create a holding company to leverage strengths, but Honda's proposal to make Nissan a wholly-owned subsidiary raised concerns about autonomy and maximizing potential [120][124][126]. Question: What are the expected expenses related to the turnaround actions? - The CFO indicated that approximately JPY 100 billion is estimated for restructuring costs and impairments, with potential updates in the fourth quarter [130][131].
Nissan Motor(NSANY) - 2024 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript