Tokyo, Oct. 30 (Jiji Press)--Major Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Kioxia Holdings Corp. forecast Friday that its April-December net profit will surge about 24-fold from a year earlier to 3,557.8 billion yen.

The net profit for the nine-month period would hit a record high as strong demand for semiconductors for data centers is expected to continue amid the spread of artificial intelligence.

For the first three quarters of fiscal 2026, Kioxia Holdings projected sales of 6,747.1 billion yen, up fivefold.

The company anticipates accelerating growth toward the January-March quarter as demand related to data centers expands while that for chips for smartphones and personal computers remains sluggish.

For April-September, Kioxia Holdings reported a net profit of 2,197.8 billion yen, up 37-fold from a year before, on sales of 4,247.1 billion yen, up fivefold.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]