Many major Japanese companies, especially manufacturing firms, saw sales increases and net profits in fiscal 2000, which ended March 31, 2001.

Shinko Research Institute Co. reported that 72.7 percent of 944 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section, excluding financial firms, saw sales growth for fiscal 2000.

Sales at these companies increased an average 4.4 percentage points over the previous year, while net profits jumped 179.1 percent on average over the year before, according to a Shinko Research survey.