Japan's Nikon posts record earnings

Strong sales of digital cameras helped to lift Nikon Corp's net profit by 37.7 percent to a record high in the year to March, the Japanese photography icon said Tuesday.
But the company was more cautious about the current financial year due to a stronger yen, soaring material costs and a weaker global economy, predicting a 3.3 percent improvement in its bottom line.
The camera giant, which in 2006 decided to stop making most traditional film cameras, posted a net profit of 75.48 billion yen (731 million dollars) for the financial year to March, slightly ahead of its own forecast.