Global Information, Inc.

Business Details

In partnership with research and publishing companies from around the world, the segment operates four businesses: Market Research Reports, Annual Information Service, Custom Research, and International Conferences & Exhibitions. It covers a wide range of industry categories including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications/IT, materials, and industrial machinery, supporting the decision-making of manufacturers, think tanks, and other customers. The company has overseas branches in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and Belgium, and operates primarily in the Asia region with support for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. All products are sold under a consignment sales model where orders are placed after receipt of customer orders, carrying no inventory risk.

Recent Overview

In Q1 FY2026 (ending March 2026), both sales and profit declined significantly year on year. The core Market Research Reports business remained sluggish.

Segment sales in Q1 FY2026 (ending March 2026) were ¥898 million (down 17.3% year on year), and segment operating profit was ¥203 million (down 35.6% year on year). The core Market Research Reports business fell 23.1% year on year due to sluggish order volume at the head office division and continued weak performance at the Korean branch. Meanwhile, the Custom Research business remained strong, up 27.2% year on year, and the Annual Information Service business also rose 5.2% year on year due to a higher average unit price. The International Conferences & Exhibitions business dropped sharply by 44.9% year on year due to a decline in the number of participants. Geopolitical risks such as changes in U.S. trade policy appear to be affecting customers' information investment.

Key Products

Growth Drivers

• Shift toward higher value-added services driven by higher unit prices and continued strong performance in the Custom Research business (Q1 FY2026, ending March 2026: up 27.2% year on year)
• Focus on AI Platform Content sales and expansion of the product lineup
• Increase in handling due to expansion of in-person events in the International Conferences & Exhibitions business
• Enhancement of GII brand recognition and expansion of customer base through co-hosted seminars with research companies
• Improved customer satisfaction and promotion of upselling through provision of various AI tools and strengthened after-sales follow-up
• Promotion of measures to strengthen Custom Research, AI utilization, and direct customer relationships based on the medium-term management plan 'GII Vision 2028'

Risks

• Suppression of customer information investment due to geopolitical risks such as U.S. tariff policy
• Risk of continued sluggish order volume in the core Market Research Reports business
• Intensifying competition due to the rise of emerging Indian and Chinese research and publishing companies and the strengthening of direct sales divisions by research publishers themselves
• Continued sales weakness at the Korean branch due to local political conditions and economic downturn
• Risk of reduced customer acquisition due to changes in search engine algorithms
• Pressure on profit margins due to increased selling, general and administrative expenses (Q1 FY2026, ending March 2026: ¥242 million, up 6.2% year on year)