Nikon posts first profit loss in 5 years, lowers lithography equipment sales forecast

Due to reduced sales of semiconductor lithography equipment and the impact of U.S. tariffs, Nikon fell into a loss for the first time in 5 years. It revised down its sales forecast for lithography equipment this year, and its stock price fell sharply today.

According to quotes from Yahoo Finance, as of 11:45 a.m. Taipei time on the 7th, Nikon fell 3.72% to 1,733 yen.

Nikon Financial results for the first half of this year (April-September 2025) were announced after the market closed on the 6th: due to a decrease in sales of semiconductor lithography equipment and the impact of U.S. tariff policies, consolidated revenue fell 6.0% from the same period last year to 312.915 billion yen. Operating loss was 4.829 billion yen (profit in the same period last year was 5.8 billion yen). Looking at the same period last year, it was the first time in five years that it fell into operating losses. Consolidated net income benefited from the recognition of one-time profits by disbanded subsidiaries and surged 80.7% to 5.356 billion yen.

(Source:Nikon)

Nikon stated that revenue from its precision machinery business (including semiconductors and FPD lithography equipment) during the April-September period decreased by 14.3% compared with the same period last year to 69.886 billion yen, and its operating income soared by 222% due to the benefits of structural reform. .6% to 3.044 billion yen; imaging business (camera business, including digital cameras and replacement lenses) revenue decreased by 4.4% to 145.037 billion yen, and operating income plummeted by 47.5% to 15.143 billion yen.

In terms of product sales, from April to September, global sales of Nikon digital single-lens cameras increased by 17% to 480,000 units compared with the same period last year, and sales of replacement lenses increased by 3% to 670,000 units.

During the April-September period, the sales volume of Nikon semiconductor lithography equipment was 9 units, down from 10 units in the same period last year; the sales volume of FPD lithography equipment was 15 units, down from 16 units in the same period last year.

Nikon has maintained its global sales target for single-lens cameras this year (April 2025-March 2026) at the original estimate of 950,000 units, which will increase by 12% annually. The sales target for replacement lenses will also remain unchanged at 1.4 million units, which will increase by 7% annually.

Nikon has revised its sales target for semiconductor lithography equipment this year down from the original estimate of 34 units to 29 units (sales volume last year was 28 units), and its sales target for FPD lithography equipment has also been revised down from 35 units to 33 units (sales volume last year was 38 units).

Nikon It was announced on October 31 that due to lower-than-expected sales in the precision machinery business, this year’s consolidated revenue target was revised down from the original estimate (in August) of 700 billion yen to 680 billion yen (a year-on-year decrease of 4.9% ), the consolidated operating profit target was slashed from 21 billion yen to 14 billion yen (will surge by 478.1%), and the consolidated net profit target was also slashed from 27 billion yen to 20 billion yen (will surge by 226.6%).

Further reading: Impact of tariffs, Canon cuts profit forecast and lowers lithography equipment target