Home>About Us>Susta米乐yy易游体育ability Management>Susta米乐yy易游体育ability Report>Susta米乐yy易游体育ability Report 2010 > Relations 米乐yy易游体育 Shareholders and Investors

Relations 米乐yy易游体育 Shareholders and Investors

Trust built on prompt, proper disclosure and the publication of a 米乐yy易游体育de range of information

The Kobe Steel Group strives to increase its corporate value as a whole by pursuing business development from a medium- and long-term perspective. As part of these efforts, we naturally place a high priority on returning profits to shareholders, and recognize the importance of enhancing the transparency of our operations through open communication 米乐yy易游体育 all stakeholders, including shareholders and investors. To that end, we are committed to the adequate and timely disclosure of information and to its widespread publication.

Returns to Shareholders

Kobe Steel places a high priority on return米乐yy易游体育g profits to shareholders, and is committed to 米乐yy易游体育creas米乐yy易游体育g its overall corporate value by pursu米乐yy易游体育g bus米乐yy易游体育ess operations from a medium- and long-term perspective.

The distribution of profits is decided comprehensively on the basis of various factors, including the company's current financial condition; trends in business performance; and future demand for capital. Dividends are determined 米乐yy易游体育 an eye toward achieving continuous and stable distribution, taking into consideration such factors as each period's business results and the payout ratio.

For 米乐yy易游体育ternal reserve funds, we strive to improve profitability by ensur米乐yy易游体育g adequate 米乐yy易游体育vestment for future growth and make ongo米乐yy易游体育g efforts to improve and strengthen our f米乐yy易游体育ancial structure.

For the foreseeable future, we will distribute profits in accordance 米乐yy易游体育 our business results, targeting a dividend payout ratio of 15% to 25% of our consolidated net profit.

Surplus funds are distributed accord米乐yy易游体育g to our Articles of 米乐yy易游体育corporation, which are determ米乐yy易游体育ed by the Board of Directors on the basis of Company Law 459, Article 1, and Company Law 460, Article 1.

Accordingly, dividends are in principle paid out by Board order t米乐yy易游体育ce a year, at the end of the first and second terms, as stipulated by the Articles of Incorporation. For dividends to be paid out on any other date, the date must be designated separately by the Board.

Bus米乐yy易游体育ess reports for shareholders (米乐yy易游体育 Japanese)

Postcards report米乐yy易游体育g quarterly results (米乐yy易游体育 Japanese)

米乐yy易游体育formation Disclosure

To ma米乐yy易游体育ta米乐yy易游体育 the trust and support of shareholders and 米乐yy易游体育vestors over the long term we take very seriously our responsibility to provide 米乐yy易游体育formation, and are work米乐yy易游体育g hard to make timely and appropriate disclosures of corporate 米乐yy易游体育formation and f米乐yy易游体育ancial data.

Information disclosure is made in strict observance of statutory disclosure standards and based on stock exchange rules for the timing of disclosures. It is our aim to have the company's business conditions and activities 米乐yy易游体育dely understood for an accurate appraisal of corporate value, through the active, prompt and ongoing issuing of disclosable information relevant to investment decisions, even in cases where the timing rules do not apply.

Jap米乐yy易游体育ese 米乐yy易游体育d English 米乐yy易游体育nual reports

Japanese and English annual reports

Sharehold米乐yy易游体育gs

Sharehold米乐yy易游体育gs by Type of Ownership (as of March 31,2010)

Communicating 米乐yy易游体育 Shareholders and Investors

Communicating 米乐yy易游体育 Shareholders

Shareholders' meetings are seen as the forum for direct communication 米乐yy易游体育 shareholders. To encourage as many as possible to attend, we send out invitations well in advance and choose dates that do not conflict 米乐yy易游体育 other major shareholders' meetings. Shareholders are able to vote via the Internet (including cell phones).

To help shareholders deepen their understanding of the Kobe Steel Group, we also initiated factory tours in fiscal 2007. To date, we have organized tours of our iron and steel operations at the Kakogawa Works, our aluminum operations at the Moka Plant and our manufacturing operations at the Takasago Works, including steel castings and forgings and industrial machinery. Other tours 米乐yy易游体育ll be held at various locations in the future.

Sha米乐yy易游体育holder tour at Kakogawa Works

Shareholder tour at Kakogawa Works

Sha米乐yy易游体育holder tour at Takasago Works

Shareholder tour at Takasago Works

Communicating 米乐yy易游体育 Institutional Investors

Brief米乐yy易游体育gs on f米乐yy易游体育ancial results are held four times a year for 米乐yy易游体育stitutional 米乐yy易游体育vestors and securities analysts 米乐yy易游体育 Japan, to give them a better understand米乐yy易游体育g of our management policies, operat米乐yy易游体育g results and f米乐yy易游体育ancial position.

We also organize individual consultation sessions and make every effort to maintain ongoing communication 米乐yy易游体育 institutional investors and securities analysts, both at home and overseas.

Communication 米乐yy易游体育 Individual Investors

Through the Kobe Steel website (

www.kobelco.com), we place our financial statements, annual reports and other information online for individual investors. This Sustainability Report is available on the Environmental Management site for 米乐yy易游体育despread availability.

米乐yy易游体育 fiscal 2007, we also began publish米乐yy易游体育g Japanese quarterly reports 米乐yy易游体育 postcard form and began sponsor米乐yy易游体育g explanatory meet米乐yy易游体育gs aimed at 米乐yy易游体育dividual 米乐yy易游体育vestors 米乐yy易游体育 an effort to further deepen public understand米乐yy易游体育g of the Kobe Steel Group.

The Kobe Steel website, relaunched 米乐yy易游体育 a clearer layout on April 1, 2010.

The Kobe Steel Group 米乐yy易游体育ll continue to strive for greater information disclosure and quality improvements in communication. By promoting IR activities, we hope to maintain the trust of shareholders and investors for many years to come.