Japanese firm Murata Manufacturing Co expects a 21% year-on-year increase in pretax profit for the six months through September to about 16bn yen ($131.6m), 1.5bn yen more than originally forecast, and a 21% increase in the full year through March 1998 to about 33bn yen ($271.4m). The revised forecast is based on expected strong sales of electronic parts for cellular phones. Interim sales are predicted to be 14% higher at 141 billion yen ($1.16bn), about 7 billion yen more than an earlier forecast, on increased sales of condensers, filters and other electrical parts. Sales of hard disk drives and other personal computer peripheral equipment are also expected to grow. Figures were calculated at a rate of 121.57 Japanese yen to the dollar.
