Casio Computer Co projects consolidated net income of 6.5bn yen ($50.8m) in the first half of its fiscal year, about seven times the level of a year ago, according to Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The majority of the improvement is being attributed to strong sales the company’s high-end digital watches. Sales are estimated to have increased 11% year over year to 240.3bn yen ($1.88bn). The value of sales of personal handyphone system terminals soared 70%. Consolidated pretax profit is expected to have soared 250% to 13.5bn yen ($105.5m). Thirteen subsidiaries, including production units in other Asian countries, turned profitable in the six-month period, after all had reported losses in fiscal 1996. Casio expects group net income for the full year to jump 170% to 10bn yen ($78m).