Kao Corp. said Monday its consolidated net profit in the April-September first half of the 2005 business year rose 1.9 percent over the same period the previous year to 38.49 billion yen.
In an earnings report for the first six months of the fiscal year, Japan's largest maker of personal care, cleansing and sanitary goods said its pretax profit dipped 1.5 percent to 63.64 billion yen despite a 3.0 percent sales rise to 483.10 billion yen.
Of total sales in the first half, those of household goods such as shampoo, hair conditioners, food and diapers rose 1.9 percent to 353.1 billion yen due partly to solid sales of the Asience high-end hair care series.
Sales at Kao's cosmetics division, including the Sofina series, inched down 0.1 percent to 39.3 billion yen.
Sales in the industrial-use products division soared 7.5 percent to 103.8 billion yen due partly to brisk sales of toners, inks and toner binder resins for use in photocopiers and ink-jet printers.
For the full year ending March 31, Kao forecast its group net and pretax profits will respectively come to 74 billion yen and 126 billion yen on projected sales of 965 billion yen.