Risk of Operations Being Cancelled or Postponed and Business Performance Deteriorating Due to COVID-19

「No new business or other risks arose during the cumulative third quarter under review. In addition, there have been no material changes to the business and other risks described in the annual securities report for the previous fiscal year.」

「During the first six months of the current consolidated fiscal year, there were no newly arising business or other risks. In addition, there were no material changes to the business and other risks described in the annual securities report for the previous fiscal year.」

「There were no newly occurring business or other risks during the cumulative first quarter of the current consolidated fiscal year. There have also been no material changes to the business and other risks described in the securities report for the previous fiscal year.」

「No new business or other risks arose during the three months ended 30 June. There were also no material changes to the business and other risks described in the securities report for the previous fiscal year.」

「The company is responding flexibly and promptly to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, but if its impact exceeds expectations and causes customers to cancel or downsize operations due to deteriorating performance or budget cuts, the group's operating performance may be affected. Overseas operations may likewise be affected by socioeconomic stagnation resulting from the status of the pandemic in individual countries.」

「The timing of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first confirmed in Japan in early 2020, remains unclear, making it difficult to accurately predict the extent of its impact on the group's business activities. If the impact continues or expands from the next fiscal year onward, resulting in the cancellation or downsizing of operations due to reduced offline surveys or customer budget cuts caused by deteriorating performance, the group's operating performance may be affected.」

「In the previous consolidated fiscal year, accounting estimates for businesses affected by COVID-19 through lower operating revenue and other factors were based on the assumption that conditions would largely normalize from April 2021 onward. From the current third quarter of the consolidated fiscal year, however, accounting estimates, including assessments of the recoverability of deferred tax assets and impairment losses, have been made based on the assumption that the effects would continue for a certain period even after April 2021.」

「COVID-19 continues to affect the group's business, but the group has steadily continued operations by further reviewing its processes, including moving qualitative research centered on group interviews online, shifting employees to remote work, and implementing measures to ensure sustainable work-from-home operations.」

「COVID-19 affected the group's business, forcing the cancellation or downsizing of surveys, particularly offline surveys, but the group actively reviewed its operations, including moving qualitative research, centered on group interviews, online.」

「The company has also experienced cancellations and postponements of some operations, mainly in its marketing support business for consumer goods and services, due to the impact of COVID-19, with the effects beginning to appear in performance for the cumulative fourth quarter of the current consolidated fiscal year. From the next fiscal year onward, difficult conditions are expected to continue across all segments, not only the marketing support business for consumer goods and services, leaving the outlook uncertain. Continued effects of the infection could affect the group's operating performance through the cancellation or downsizing of operations because offline surveys cannot be conducted, the economy weakens as people refrain from going out, and customers cut budgets due to deteriorating performance. Overseas operations may likewise be affected by stay-at-home orders and similar measures in various countries.」