Fujitsu doubles profit forecast

Firm now expects to post a 44 billion yen (£189m) operating profit

Fujitsu has increased its operating profit forecast by 120 per cent

Fujitsu, one of the suppliers bidding for the UK's £2bn biometric identity cards programme, has lifted its first-half operating profit forecast by 120 per cent.

Good hardware sales mean the firm now expects to post a 44 billion yen (£189m) operating profit for the Apri to September period , more than double its previous forecast of 20 billion yen.

But the company did not change its full-year forecast amid uncertainties about hard drive and chip sales.

"Full-year earnings projections for fiscal 2007 remain unchanged, primarily because of uncertainties relating to our product businesses, for which sales and income tend to be highly concentrated at the end of the fiscal year," said a company statement.

Fujitsu also revised up its first-half recurring profit outlook by 220 per cent to 32 billion yen (£138m), up from a previous forecast of 10 billion yen (£43m).