Konami Group (LSE:KNM) raised its forecast for operating profit in the year to March 2027 to ¥193 billion from ¥143 billion, after first-half operating profit rose 73.1% to ¥111.3 billion. It also raised its year-end Dividend forecast to ¥187 a share from ¥112.

What was announced

Konami Group Corporation, listed in Tokyo and London under LSE:KNM, published consolidated IFRS results for the six months to 30 September 2026 on 29 October 2026. On the same day it issued a separate notice revising its Earnings and dividend forecasts for the year ending 31 March 2027. All amounts are in yen.

The company said first-half results were ahead of its original full-year plan on every measure, and that it now expects full-year results to exceed the previous forecast. It named solid performance from core Digital Entertainment titles, including eFootball and Yu-Gi-Oh!, as a main driver.

The numbers

Revenue for the half-year rose 37.0% to ¥307.98 billion from ¥224.84 billion. Business profit, which Konami defines as Revenue less cost of revenue and selling, general and administrative expenses, rose 72.2% to ¥112.09 billion. Operating profit rose 73.1% to ¥111.26 billion and profit before income taxes rose 73.1% to ¥112.90 billion.

Profit attributable to owners of the parent rose 70.5% to ¥79.24 billion from ¥46.49 billion. Basic Earnings Per Share were ¥584.54, compared with ¥342.92 a year earlier. Total comprehensive income was ¥77.36 billion.

Total Assets were ¥813.1 billion at 30 September 2026, up from ¥748.8 billion at the end of March. Equity attributable to owners of the parent rose to ¥623.1 billion, which lifted the ratio of owners' equity to total assets to 76.6% from 75.4%. The content available for this article does not include the segment breakdown, cash flows or cash balances, which the company refers to in an accompanying document.

Forecast and dividend revision

Konami now forecasts full-year revenue of ¥583 billion, up from ¥505 billion and 18.1% above the previous year. Business profit is now forecast at ¥200 billion, up from ¥150 billion. Operating profit and profit before income taxes are both forecast at ¥193 billion, up from ¥143 billion, an increase of 35.0%. The forecast for profit attributable to owners has been raised by 33.7% to ¥135 billion from ¥101 billion, which implies basic EPS of ¥995.90 instead of ¥745.08. For comparison, the company reported operating profit of ¥135.9 billion and attributable profit of ¥100.0 billion for the year to March 2026.

The Interim Dividend is ¥112 a share, unchanged from forecast and up from ¥83 a year earlier, with payment due to start on 19 November 2026. The year-end dividend forecast rises to ¥187 from ¥112. That would make the annual total ¥299, against the previous forecast of ¥224 and last year's payment of ¥221.50. Konami said its basic policy is a consolidated Payout Ratio of more than 30%. It said the higher dividend reflects the higher profit it now expects. The previous forecasts had been published on 8 May 2026.

What to watch next

The revised forecasts mean second-half revenue would need to be about ¥275 billion and second-half operating profit about ¥82 billion. These figures are a calculation from the full-year forecast less the first-half actuals. On that basis the second half would be lower than the first. The announcement does not say how the forecast is split between the two halves.

Konami's cautionary statement lists the main risks to its forecasts: currency movements, competition, the timing of game releases, regulatory changes and acquisitions. How core titles perform, and the release schedule for the rest of the year, will determine whether the higher targets are met.