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Relations with Shareholders and Investors

The Kobe Steel Group places a high priority on returning profits to shareholders, and strives to boost the corporate value of the Group as a whole through fostering growth over the medium- to-long term. We aim to make prompt disclosure of appropriate information to all stakeholders, including our shareholders and investors, and to increase management transparency by making a wide range of information publicly available. Returns to Shareholders Believing that the medium- to long-term growth of corporate value generates profits for shareholders, Kobe Steel is committed to paying continuous, stable dividends. The amount of the dividend is decided comprehensively on the basis of various factors, including: each period's results; the dividend payout ratio; the need for investment in future growth; and the state of our balance sheet. When distributing profits according to business results, we regard 15% to 25% of our consolidated net profit as a suitable dividend payout ratio. Based on this policy, we paid a dividend of \7 per share in FY2007, the same as the previous year, representing a payout ratio of 23.6%. Business reports (in Japanese) Information Disclosure To maintain the trust and support of shareholders and investors over the long term we take very seriously our responsibility to provide information, and are working hard to make timely and appropriate disclosures of corporate information and financial data. Information disclosure is made in strict observance of statutory disclosure standards and based on stock exchange rules for the timing of disclosures. It is our aim to have the company's business conditions and activities widely understood for an accurate appraisal of corporate value, through the active, prompt and ongoing issuing of disclosable information relevant to investment decisions, even in cases where the timing rules do not apply. Annual Reports (in English and Japanese) Shareholdings Shareholdings by Type of Ownership Communication with Shareholders and Investors Communication with Shareholders Shareholders' meetings are seen as the forum for direct communication with shareholders. To encourage as many as possible to attend, the date is carefully chosen so as not to conflict with other major shareholders' meetings and notification is sent out well in advance. Since the June 2003 Shareholders' Meeting, it has been possible for shareholders to exercise their vote via the Internet. Also, to provide shareholders with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the company, we initiated factory tours in FY2007. Factory tour for shareholders Communication with Institutional Investors Briefings on financial results are given four times a year for institutional investors and securities analysts in Japan, to give them a better understanding of our management policies, operating results and financial position. For those overseas, a range of investor-relations (IR) activities includes regular visits to institutional investors by management teams. The company's IR staff work to maintain ongoing communication with institutional investors and securities analysts by responding to requests for information and by paying individual visits. Announcement to analysts of the Medium-Term Business Plan Communication with Individual Investors For individual investors, publications such as Business Reports (in Japanese) sent out to shareholders, and a wide range of other information such as annual reports, financial statements, and this Sustainability Report is available on the company's website. We have also made available a video version of our President's Message on our Japanese website, and transmitted this to online securities companies and portal site companies to promote general public dissemination. In FY2007, we also began publishing quarterly reports and holding explanatory meetings for individual investors in an effort to further deepen public understanding of the Kobe Steel Group. The Kobe Steel Group will continue to strive for greater information disclosure and quality improvements in communication. By promoting IR activities we hope to maintain the trust of shareholders and investors for many years to come. IR site