Overseas Demand Boosts Earnings Recovery in Oct-Dec Quarter

Buoyed by strong demand in overseas markets, earnings at listed companies are bouncing back, with firms that derive the bulk of their sales abroad leading the pack. Companies relying on foreign markets for 50% or more of their sales saw their combined pretax profit skyrocket 450% on the year in the October-December quarter, according to calculations by The Nikkei. Firms with 30-50% of sales generated abroad logged a smaller but still strong gain of 140%.