Tokyo  - Japanese home electronics company Sanyo Electric Co reported Thursday that it returned to the black in fiscal 2007, which ended in March, for the first time in four years.

Sanyo's net profit rose to 28.7 billion yen (276 million dollars), up from a net loss of 45.36 billion yen a year before, thanks to increased sales of digital cameras and solar photovoltaic modules.

Sales rose 7.2 per cent in the fiscal 2007 to 2.02 trillion yen, and operating profit soared to 76.1 billion yen, up 78.7 per cent from a year before.

Sanyo plans to raise its operating profit to 100 billion yen by the end of 2010, while investing 122.5 billion yen, mainly in the energy business sector, especially on rechargeable batteries and solar photovoltaic modules, the company said. (dpa)