Nov 19 2016

Fiscal years of listed companies in Japan mostly end in March. 2016 marked the first time in five years that both aggregate sales and net profit at these companies dropped year-on-year for the April-September half. However, the margin of decline for the July-September quarter narrowed from the previous quarter. Full-year net profit is expected to be higher than last year for the first time in two years

The latest half-year results indicate that Japanese listed companies have managed to squeeze out profits despite impediments such as a strong yen. Net profit margin ratio, an indicator of a company's efficiency, for the full year is projected to top 3.9%, up 0.4 percentage point from the previous year. This would top the most recent high of 3.8%, reached in 2007