TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s Advantest on Tuesday hiked its operating profit forecast for the year ending March 2026 by 25% to 374 billion yen ($2.48 billion) as spending on artificial intelligence drives demand for its chip testing equipment.

“We have grown confident that the favourable business environment, supported by the ongoing build-out of global AI data centre infrastructure, will continue,” CEO Douglas Lefever told an earnings briefing.

Operating profit rose 71% to 108.4 billion yen in the July-September quarter compared to a year earlier, with the company raising its mid-term plan financial targets as AI-related investment boosts the industry.

($1 = 150.7800 yen)

(Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christian Schmollinger)

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