Nikon Profit Down 64%, Sees Loss Ahead
Sign of the times
Will we see this same sort of report coming from Canon?
TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - Japanese precision equipment and camera maker Nikon Corp (7731.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Wednesday annual operating profit fell 64 percent, hurt by weak sales of chip-making machines, and it forecast a tumble into the red this year.
Operating income was 48.2 billion yen ($495 million) in the year ended March 31, beating an average market estimate of 42 billion yen from 17 brokerages surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
For the current financial year, Nikon, which launched a new entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera this month, forecast a loss of 12 billion yen, smaller than an average estimate from analysts of a 17 billion yen loss.
The world’s No.2 maker of chip steppers after Netherlands-based ASML (ASML.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has been hurt by spending cuts by chipmakers amid a prolonged downturn and is looking increasingly to its cameras to cover the shortfall.
Steppers are multi-million dollar machines used to scan circuitry onto silicon wafers to make semiconductors. Canon Inc (7751.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also competes in the market.
Shares of Nikon shed 58 percent in the year ended in March, while Canon lost close to 39 percent and Olympus Corp (7733.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) lost 48 percent. (Reporting by Mayumi Negishi; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
cr
May 14th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Maybe CAJ price will drop, and then I can pick up some shares,,,
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Anonymous Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
It close at $33.16 today. On March 9th it was $21.52. Where do you think it’s headed? Buy now or wait?
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May 14th, 2009 at 11:55 am
It would be interesting to know how the camera division did in the year. I can probably say it wasn’t that bad. The loss is stated as a chip fab machine under performance not a lens or camera problem.
Canon is a much larger company but it will be hit with a wider loss since most of their products suffered from lack of new orders.
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Zac Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
going into the red this year? that ain’t good. As much as I hate nikon camera’s control structure they do make canon give us better products at better prices, and of course their steppers are absolutely vital to the technology market in general, which is one of the big driving forces in the global economy.
buy 14-24 f/2.8G ED-IF N with F mount to EF converter?…maybe
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May 14th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Its unfortunate for all Photography fans when a company like Nikon loses money.
Typically, companies first cut customer service staff, find cheaper subcontractors, and take any shortcuts they can in production. This inevitably results in poorer quality products. I’m not talking Nikon specifically here, it applies to all of them.
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May 15th, 2009 at 12:40 am
did Ken Rockwell die or something? :’)
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May 15th, 2009 at 1:10 am
what’s about canon?
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May 15th, 2009 at 1:14 am
HA TOLD YA
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May 15th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Let it die already…
joking… :) ~ I like my Canon but I like competition even more. Hopefully, both compagny will not cut too much on R&D :(
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May 15th, 2009 at 8:41 am
damm, they got their economic future out of focus… although they have 51 focus points…
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May 15th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Actually they didn’t. They have been leaning out for quite awhile to prepare for this. Smaller than Canon, yes, but still quite a big company, they will be fine. Check out what the other side has to say: http://www.bythom.com/ .
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ossme Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I hope so, the last thing I want is for a great camera maker to go out of busniess..
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May 16th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Is this true also?
https://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/UPDATE-2-Canon-Q1-profit-down-88-pct-raises-outloo-RLAT7?OpenDocument
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May 20th, 2009 at 2:42 am
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November 24th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
This is such an important topic, I wish more people would write about it, not just spamming other people’s ideas. Researched content is hard to find on the Internet these days.
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