Dentsu Group Inc (DNTUF) Q4 2024 Earnings Call

Investor webinar replay

Replay transcript excerpt

Welcome to the Dentsu FI 2024 Earnings Call. My name is Morishima from the Group II office, and I'll be your conference operator today. Please refer to our English website for today's presentation materials in English. Joining me today are President and Global CEO, Dentsu, Hiroshi Igarashi, Global CGO, and Global CFO, Dentsu, Yushin Soga. Soga de gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegai tashimasu. Global COO, and Chairman and Acting CEO, Dentsu Americas, Julio Malegri. Hi, I'm Julio Malegri. CEO, Dentsu Japan, and Deputy Global COO, Dentsu, Takeshi Sano. There will be responding to your questions today. The agenda for today will start with business update from Hiroshi Igarashi. Yushin Soga will then present the financial update, followed by explanation of the new mid-term management plan from Hiroshi Igarashi. We will invite you to ask questions after the presentation. So, Mr. Igarashi, over to you. Good evening and thank you for joining our fiscal 2024 earnings announcement today. In fiscal 2024, organic growth rate and operating margins were mostly in line with the November guidance. In addition, all of the underlying profit items exceeded previous year's results. However, we ended up recording a significant statutory loss, mainly due to goodwill impairment loss recorded in the fourth quarter, mostly in EMEA and the Americas. By region, Japan business performed very well. However, the international business results were challenged overall, and we are taking this quite seriously. Our Japan business continues to evolve as an integrated growth partner for many clients based on the trust we have built over our 120-year history. At the same time, we are updating our wide variety of capabilities, mainly in the marketing field, including consulting and DX. In fiscal 2024, our pitch wi...