Nintendo Has Full-Year Profit Gains on Weaker Yen

Nintendo, which earns about 75 percent of sales outside of Japan, holds foreign currency assets of about $3.5 billion and 1.1 billion euros. The company used an exchange rate of 117.47 yen to the dollar and 142.81 yen to the euro for today's earnings statement. In January, the company was forecasting a rate of 110 yen to the dollar and 135 yen to the euro.

Nintendo also said it would pay a 370 yen dividend for the full year, compared to its earlier plan to pay at least 140 yen. It paid out 270 yen in fiscal 2004. Shares of Nintendo rose 1.9 percent to 17,770 yen today on the Osaka Securities Exchange, paring losses earlier in the day.

The company said as of February said it sold more than 6 million DS units in Japan since the launch in December 2004, and targets 10 million units by year-end, as it introduces a thinner and lighter model called the DS Lite and add features such as a Web browser and digital TV tuner.

Nintendo's full-year net income is the highest since its 106 billion yen profit in fiscal 2001. The company will report final earnings on May 25.