Major Japanese firms post higher earnings in April-December period

Many listed Japanese firms have reported robust earnings for the nine months to December, with their bottom lines improving thanks to price increases.

Of 786 component firms of the broad Topix index that had announced their April-December results as of Wednesday, 455 companies, or nearly 60% of the total, reported higher net profits year-on-year, according to SMBC Nikko Securities.

The number of companies that raised their net profit forecasts for the full fiscal year ending next month exceeded that of those that lowered estimates 154 to 78.