Canon Defies Downturn to Maintain Ongoing Profitability

Canon claims, in reporting its financial results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and the fiscal year that ended Dec.31 2015, that its ongoing profitability is the result of its increased sales in the laser printer segment.

The report highlights the increase in sales of color model office MFDs  and color model light production printing systems.

It was noted that demand for MFDs and FPDs increased primarily for large sized panels. This increased demand was linked to the boosting of capital investment by device manufacturers for the production of large size LCD panels that offer high levels of resolution

Sales of semiconductor lithography equipment and FPD lithography equipment have also exceeded the previous year’s sales.

The report also highlights a growing demand for memory devices used in mobile devices such as smart phones.

The Report noted that during  2015 sales declined for digital cameras and inkjet printers. This was blamed on the harsh economic conditions prevailing last year.

Canon has been proactive in returning profits to its shareholders with a distribution of a full year dividend of ¥150 per share. This was the same as the dividend paid  to shareholders in 2014.