TOKYO -- Manufacturers are driving aggregate earnings at Japan's listed companies toward a second consecutive annual decline, an analysis by Nikkei has found, risking the first back-to-back drop since the global financial crisis.
Combined profit at 972 listed businesses will slide 4% on a net basis during the year ending March 2020, based on projections from earnings reports released through Thursday. The forecasts trace a downturn of roughly 10% from the all-time high posted in fiscal 2017.
