Major Japanese companies are expected to see their combined net profits surpass ¥47 trillion ($312 billion) for the year through March and hit a record high, a survey showed Monday, as economic activity continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and exporters receive a boost from a weak yen.
Strong performances among the country's blue-chip firms are seen as having been a driving force behind the increased foreign investment that has helped push the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average up to an all-time high.
The net profits of 1,430 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange — most of them in its top-tier Prime section — are estimated to total ¥47.06 trillion in the current fiscal year, up 12.9% from a year earlier, according to a tally by SMBC Nikko Securities.