Announcement • 3h
Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. (TSE:9534) announces an Equity Buyback for 1,300,000 shares, representing 1.47% for ¥1,000 million. Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. (TSE:9534) announces a share repurchase program. Under the program, the company will repurchase up to 1,300,000 shares, representing 1.47% of its total shares outstanding (excluding treasury shares), for a total of ¥1,000 million. The purpose of the program is to enable the implementation of restricted stock compensation for the Company’s Directors, allotment of restricted shares through the Employee Shareholding Association, and the strategic business development. The repurchase program is valid till December 31, 2026 . As of March 31, 2026, the company has 88,689,030 issued shares and 415,780 shares in treasury. Declared Dividend • Jul 25
Final dividend of JP¥13.50 announced Shareholders will receive a dividend of JP¥13.50. Ex-date: 29th September 2026 Payment date: 1st December 2026 Dividend yield will be 3.4%, which is higher than the industry average of 2.1%. Sustainability & Growth Dividend is well covered by both earnings (19% earnings payout ratio) and cash flows (22% cash payout ratio). The dividend has increased by an average of 13% per year over the past 10 years and has been stable with no material reductions to payments, indicating a long track record of dividend growth and stability. Earnings per share has grown by 22% over the last 5 years. Unless this trend reverses, it should provide support to the dividend and adequate earnings cover. New Risk • Jul 03
New minor risk - Financial position The company has a high level of debt. Net debt to equity ratio: 48% This is considered a minor risk. Having a high level of debt increases the company's balance sheet risk. The company has a higher interest repayment burden, leading to the need to allocate a greater amount of its earnings towards servicing the debt, potentially limiting growth options or shareholder distributions. It can also increase the risk of bankruptcy if business conditions deteriorate enough that the company can no longer meet its debt obligations. This is currently the only risk that has been identified for the company. 
