Combined pretax profits by companies totaled a record 15.51 trillion yen in the January-March quarter, up 4.1 percent from the same period last year, according to a Finance Ministry survey released Monday.
Capital spending by the companies rose 13.9 percent on an all-industry basis from a year earlier to 15.61 trillion yen.
Pretax profits marked their 15th straight year-on-year quarterly increase and capital spending grew for the 12th straight quarter, underscoring the sustained economic recovery, which has been led by private demand.