Canon Inc, the world's biggest digital camera maker, may lift its 2008 projection for its global digital camera shipments on an expected surge in demand from China, Russia and other emerging economies, a Canon official said on Thursday.
Canon shares were up 3.84 percent at 6,490 yen as of 0133 GMT, having touched 6,500 yen soon after the start of trade following a Nihon Keizai report on Canon's projections. The Nikkei share average was up 1.65 percent.
The company's demand forecast in July was for 23 million units in 2008, up 36 percent from its shipments for 2005. A Canon official said that no new target had been set yet. The Nihon Keizai reported that the company could lift its forecast to as much as 26 million units.
Last month an industry group raised its estimate for digital camera shipments by Japanese makers in the next two years on expectations that more consumers will switch to models with more advanced functions.