The cultural, papermaking and printing sectors recorded a 200 percent rise in EPS in the first quarter, while the metal, nonmetal, petroleum and chemical sectors more than doubled.

EPS in the sectors of farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery declined.

Takings of major businesses surged 30.5 percent in the mining sector, 31.1 percent in the timber processing and furniture manufacturing sector, and 39.4 percent in the metal and nonmetal sector.

But the banking, insurance, transportation, storage, farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery sectors saw their takings of major businesses drop more than 10 percent.

The 1,364 companies saw their rate of profit rise 2.53 percentage points to 18.22 percent in the first quarter.

Rate of profit rose in the cultural, metal, nonmetal, petroleum, chemical and real estate sectors, while that of the papermaking, printing and mining sectors declined.

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