Tokyo: Hitachi said on Wednesday its net profit surged 37.4 per cent to $1.5 billion (Dh5.5 billion) for the nine months to December, while it upgraded its full-year sales forecast. The vast conglomerate said it had made 174.9 billion yen (Dh5.9 billion) during the period, up from 127.3 billion yen a year earlier. It pointed to a strong performance in its information technology as well as its elevator and train system divisions. Operating profit rose 9 per cent to 322.2 billion yen “with all segments recording higher profits than the same period last year, with the exception of the power systems and construction machinery segments”, Hitachi said. Hitachi revised up its annual forecast, and is now expecting sales of 9.6 trillion yen for the fiscal year to March, up from a previous outlook of 9.5 billion yen.