Listed companies' combined sales grew 2.1 percent on a parent-company basis in fiscal 2000 over the previous year, the first increase in four years, the Tokyo Stock Exchange said Thursday.
Manufacturers' sales increased 4.2 percent, more than offsetting the 0.1 percent decrease posted by nonmanufacturers.
The unconsolidated results for fiscal 2000 of 1,439 companies listed on the exchange were analyzed by the TSE. The results of financial concerns such as banks and securities houses, and firms listed after April 1, 2000, are excluded.
Combined pretax profits rose 26.8 percent, up for the second consecutive year, helping net profit jump by a factor of 4.7.
The average return on equity came to 2.3 percent, up from 0.4 percent.