Bridgestone 2005 OP Down 9 per cent

Bridgestone Corp is likely to post less of a drop in 2005 group operating profit than it expected. Reports in the Nihon Keizai newspaper say the improved figures have been assisted by robust sales of high-value-added products worldwide. The reports suggest Bridgestone will publish operating profit of just over 180 billion yen ($1.61 billion), down some 9 per cent from a year earlier. In February, the company estimated that its group operating profit would fall 14 per cent to 170 billion yen. Both figures look conservative compared with the Reuters Estimates consensus, which puts the figure nearer 195 billion yen.