More than 40 percent of major Japanese companies that have announced their results for the fiscal first half posted lower profits or fell into the red amid a weaker yen and rising material costs, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. said Monday. The results signaled that many companies have faced difficulties passing on higher energy and raw material costs, exacerbated significantly by the war in Ukraine, to consumers. The yen's slide against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies has contributed to further hikes in import prices. Of 609 firms that released earnings for the six months that ended Sep...
