Sho Fukuhara's questions to HITACHI (HTHIY) leadership • Q3 2024
Question
Sho Fukuhara of Jefferies Securities asked if Hitachi Energy's large Q3 orders were one-off projects and questioned the potential for future revenue growth given the order pace. He also inquired about the profitability of the current backlog. Additionally, he asked about the core free cash flow revision, the sustainability of cash flow given the role of advances, and the outlook for shareholder returns.
Answer
Executive Tomomi Kato confirmed the Q3 orders included large grid integration projects but stated they are not one-off, with a strong pipeline of inquiries. He noted that the profitability of the order backlog is steadily improving. Regarding cash flow, Kato acknowledged that advances from Hitachi Energy boost current figures but will be spent later; however, continued order growth helps manage this timing difference. He reiterated that the capital policy remains balanced between growth investments and shareholder returns, aiming for a stable multi-year payout ratio.