1) General Overview of First Half of Fiscal Year 1999

The economic environment in which Toshiba and its consolidated group companies operate remained tough throughout the period, despite signs of recovery in the domestic economy. The group continued to put into effect extensive restructuring programs and maximized efforts to secure profitability.

Compared with the same period a year ago, net sales increased five percent to 2,622,464 million yen (approximately US$24,509 million). Gains were recorded in semiconductors, LCDs, the domestic market for personal computers and cellular phones. The results reported below reflect the inclusion of Toshiba TEC Corporation and its subsidiaries in consolidated reporting for the first time.

Net income decreased to minus 48,323 million yen (minus US$452 million), the result of significantly lower than expected prices for 128-megabit DRAM and other memories, declines in profitability in logic and system LSIs, and restructuring costs for semiconductor operations, including realignment of production facilities and decommissioning of aging assets.

Following the introduction of an in-house company system in April 1999, Toshiba Corporation revised its segment information from five segments to six: Information & Communications and Industrial Systems; Digital Media; Power Systems; Electronic Devices & Components; Home Appliances; and Others. All comparisons below refer to the relevant results of sales and operating income for the same period a year ago.

Sales
Information & Communications and Industrial Systems were up17 percent to 828,461 million yen (US$7,743 million), reflecting the inclusion of Toshiba TEC Corporation and its subsidiaries. However, private sector demand remained sluggish and sales of industrial systems slumped. Digital Media sales rose two percent to 706,000 million yen (US$6,598 million), with increased demand for personal computers in Japan and robust growth in cellular phones making up for a decline in sales of HDD and CD-ROM.

In Power Systems, sales remained flat at 253,303 million yen (US$2,367 million), as an increase in domestic sales and in exports of thermal power generating equipment offset a decline in nuclear power related equipment and other systems. Electronic Devices & Components marked an eight percent gain in sales to 684,299 million yen (US$6,396 million) as memories and LCD devices enjoyed considerable sales growth and sales of discrete products increased.

In Home Appliances, sales declined six percent to 340,183 million yen (US$3,179 million) and Others declined two percent to 208,000 million yen (US$1,944 million).

Operating income
Information & Communications and Industrial Systems declined by 160 million yen (US$1.5 million) to minus 2,385 million yen (minus US$22 million). This was due to lower returns from sales of industrial and medical systems and from sales to national and local government offices, and despite the inclusion of the results of Toshiba TEC Corporation and its subsidiaries in the segment. In Digital Media, a profit decline in the international personal computer business and in peripheral products could not be offset by rising profits in the domestic market for personal computers and increased sales of cellular phones, resulting in a 30 percent decrease in operating income to 18,047 million yen (US$168 million).

Power Systems declined 59 percent to 2,426 million yen (US$23 million), reflecting a tough overall business environment and worsened results at Toshiba Plant Kensetsu Co., Ltd. Electronic Devices & Components saw a major decline of 35,592 million yen (US$333 million) to minus 64,933 million yen (minus US$607 million), despite improvement in the LCD business. This result reflects lower than expected prices for memories, declines in profitability in system LSIs, and the cost of decommissioning of aging assets.

Home Appliances improved its operating income as extensive restructuring efforts strengthened profitability, allowing the segment to record a profit for the first time in eight years. Operating income rose 19,129 million yen (US$179 million) to 1,471 million yen (US$14 million). Others also increased by 33 percent to 15,594 million yen (US$146 million).

The Japanese market is expected to continue a gradual recovery, despite such concerns as exchange rate fluctuations. Toshiba Corporation forecasts an increase in total sales, as semiconductors will see improved volumes and price stabilization. Sales of information and communications systems will also make positive contributions.

Annual sales for the fiscal year ended March 2000 are forecast at 5,650,000 million yen (US$52,804 million).

The company anticipates a substantial recovery in profitability in the second half of FY1999, as the semiconductor business returns to the black. However, the large losses incurred in the first half will not be covered by profit generated in the second half.

In addition, Toshiba Corp. will reflect a 110,000 million yen (US$1,000 million) expense in its financial results for fiscal year 1999 in connection with the settlement in a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. concerning the floppy disk controller that had been incorporated in the company's portable PCs. A profit of 50,000 million yen (US$467 million) from selling securities will be also reflected in the results for the year. As a result, the company forecasts income before income taxes and minority interests of minus 70,000 million yen (minus US$654 million) and net income of minus 50,000 million yen (minus US$467 million).

Projections for FY1999 are shown below, compared against actual results for FY1998.

Operating income
Compared with the same period a year earlier, FY1999 will see a decline in Information & Communications and Industrial Systems, while Digital Media will remain flat, Home Appliances will be back in the black, and Other will increase. Power Systems will decrease. Electronic Devices & Components will improve its operating income but remain in the red.

The company assumed an exchange rate of 110 yen to the US$1 for its second-half projection.