February 6, 2009

Business Performance for the First Three Quarters of Fiscal 2008
(on a consolidated basis)
1. Outline of business operations for the first three quarters (April 1 to December 31, 2008)(1) Operating results(Amounts less than ¥1 million are omitted.)
Net sales(¥ million)

First 3 quartersof fiscal 2008
First 3 quartersof fiscal 2007

Operating income(YoYchange)(¥ million)

Recurring income(YoYchange)(¥ million)

Net income(YoYchange)(YoYchange)(¥ million)

376,719-

25,452-

25,255-

13,441-

370,869

12.8%

30,52210.0%

30,8059.3%

17,412

27.7%

Earnings pershare (Yen)
33.46
43.25

First 3 quarters of fiscal 2008
First 3 quarters of fiscal 2007

(2) Financial position(As of end of terms; amounts less than ¥1 million are omitted.)
Total assets(¥ million)
First 3 quarters of fiscal
2008 (Dec. 31, 2008)
Reference: FY2007 full term
(March 31, 2008)

Net assets(¥ million)

Net assets
per share (¥)

Equity ratio (%)

565,950

202,76433.4

472.13547,237

217,81337.2

506.02

Notes:
EquityFirst 3 quarters of fiscal 2008: ¥188,834 million
FY2007 full term: ¥203,696 million

2. Forecasts for business operations for the fiscal 2008 full term (April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009)(Amounts less than ¥1 million are omitted.)
Net sales(YoYchange)
495,000(2.5%)(¥ million)

FY2008 full term

Operating income(YoYchange)
29,000 (25.2%)(¥ million)

Recurringincome(YoYchange)
27,400 (28.8%)(¥ million)

Net income(YoYchange)
15,000 (31.6%)(¥ million)

Note:
Changes in forecasts for business operations made during the first three quarters: Revised as ofFebruary 6, 2009

1Earnings pershare(Yen)

37.38

3. Business performance for the first three quarters of fiscal 2008
During the first three quarters (April 1 to December 31) of fiscal 2008, the state of theJapanese economy took a marked turn for the worse, with declining corporate earnings andrising unemployment figures. This came about as a result of the global economic slowdown
that was caused by financial market turmoil, which was in turn sparked by the U.S. subprime
mortgage loan crisis.
Under these circumstances, the Group posted business results for the nine-monthreporting period as follows: sales of ¥376,719 million (up 1.6% over the same period of theprevious fiscal term), operating income of ¥25,452 million (down 16.6%), recurring income of¥25,255 million (down 18.0%), and net income of ¥13,441 million (down 22.8%). In spite of
the increase in revenues, higher depreciation expenses resulting from changes in the useful livesof long-lived assets accompanying revisions to the taxation system, as well as the impact offoreign currency exchange adjustments, contributed to a year-on-year decline in earnings.
(1) Breakdown of business performance by operational segment
Gas BusinessIn the Gas Business, in spite of a decline in demand from the beginning of the third quarter
among some of our customers, principally in the chemical industry, sales rose by 3.8% yearon-year, to ¥261,175 million. However, operating income for this segment posted a year-onyear decline of 19.8% to ¥20,254 million. This was caused by higher depreciation expenses
resulting from changes in the useful lives of long-lived assets.
The Machinery & Equipment BusinessIn the Machinery & Equipment Business, sales of air separation plants and equipment were at
roughly the same level as for the corresponding period of the previous year, but revenue fromthe sale and installation of electronic equipment showed a year-on-year decline owing to asmaller number of large-scale projects compared with the previous year’s first three quarters.
As a result, sales of the Machinery and Equipment segment posted a year-on-year fallof 4.8% to ¥101,045 million, while operating income rose 17.9% to ¥8,470 million.

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Housewares Business and Others
In the Housewares Business, sales of sports bottles and portable mugs were favorable, andsales in this segment rose 9.6% year-on-year to ¥14,498 million, while operating income wasup 38.1% at ¥1,951 million.
(2) Breakdown of business performance by geographical segment
Japan
Despite production cuts by customer industries in the gas business and growing curbs on plantand equipment investments, which had an adverse impact on the Company’s performance forthe third quarter, sales for the whole of the nine-month period edged up by 1.0% year-on-year,to ¥289,283 million. Higher depreciation expenses resulting from changes in the useful lives oflong-lived assets caused operating income to decline 15.8% to ¥18,986 million.
North America
In the reporting nine-month period, no substantial impact was registered from the slowdown of
the American economy, and sales on a dollar basis posted a year-on-year increase. On a yenbasis, however, sales declined 1.2% to ¥64,035 million as a result of the yen’s sharp
appreciation against the dollar. Operating income decreased 20.0% to ¥6,838 million. This is
primarily attributable to the posting of substantial losses as a result of the yen’s appreciation.
Changes in accounting standards for the amortization of goodwill, in line with new accounting
procedures mandatorily applied to foreign subsidiaries, also caused expenses to increase.
Other Regions
In Southeast Asia, our mainstay gas business showed a strong performance thanks to theexpansion of production facilities in the previous term to meet the robust demand for industrial
gases. As a result, sales increased 18.8% to ¥23,400 million, while operating income rose
22.2% to ¥1,922 million.

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4. Results by operating segment
First three quarters of fiscal 2008 (April 1 to December 31, 2008)(Millions of yen)
MachineryandEquipment
BusinessHousewares
Business andOthers

261,175

101,045

14,498376,719-

376,719

18

18,17849

18,246(18,246)-

261,193
20,254

119,223
8,470

14,548
1,951

394,965
30,675(18,246)(5,223)376,719
25,452Gas
Business
Sales(1) Sales toexternal customers(2) Sales frominter-segment
transactions andtransfers
Total
Operating income

Total

Eliminations or
Corporate

Consolidated

Notes
1. Segmentation method
Products (whether developed and/or made in-house or by other companies [i.e. bought-inmerchandise]) are allocated to one of the three segments of the Gas Business, the Machineryand Equipment Business, and the Housewares Business and Others.
2. The principal products and services included in the three segments are shown in the tablebelow.
Business segment
Main products
Oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, helium, rare gases
such as xenon and neon, hydrogen, medical gases(oxygen,dinitrogen monoxide), specialty gases (semiconductor materials
Gas Businessgases, standard reference gas), dissolved acetylene, liquid
petroleum gas (LPG), other gases, stable isotopes, equipment
lease
Cutting and welding equipment, welding materials, cylinders,
semiconductor related engineering/equipment, semiconductor
manufacturing equipment, medical equipment, air separation
plants (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, rare gases), cryogenic air
separation plants, ultra-low-temperature equipment, highMachinery andvacuum equipment, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) gas
Equipment Businessgenerators, hydrogen generators, gas compressors, gas
expanders, liquefied gas storage/pumps, vacuum brazing, atomic
power/space development equipment and other related
equipment, air-conditioning equipment, drainage treatment
systems
Stainless steel vacuum bottles(household, laboratory), vacuum
Housewares Business thermal insulation cooking pots, assembly, processing andand Others
inspection of electronic components, maintenance of facilities,
other outsourced business4

5. Results by geographical segment
First three quarters of fiscal 2008 (April 1 to December 31, 2008)(Millions of yen)
Japan
Sales
(1) Sales toexternal customers(2) Sales frominter-segment
transactions
Total
Operating incomeNorth
America

Othercountries

Total

Eliminations orCorporate

Consolidated

289,283

64,03523,400376,719-

376,719

5,657

8,744

2,533

16,936(16,936)-

294,941
18,986

72,7796,838

25,934
1,922

393,655
27,747(16,936)(2,294)

376,719
25,452Notes
1. Principal countries in the North America and Other Countries segments are as follows:(1) North America: The United States of America(2) Other countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Taiwan etc.

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