TOKYO: Kobe Steel, Japan’s third-biggest steelmaker, on Friday posted its first annual profit in three years, even after admitting to falsifying quality data, a scandal that affected hundreds of customers and hit Japan’s manufacturing prowess. Kobe Steel reported profit of ¥63.19 billion for the year ended March 31, against a loss of ¥23.05 billion a year earlier. The result was above its own forecast of ¥45 billion and an estimate of ¥49.56 billion among seven analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. The company predicted a ¥45 billion profit for the year to March 2019, compared with a mean profit forecast of ¥44.62 billion from six analysts. Kobe Steel, which supplies steel and aluminum parts to manufacturers of cars, planes and trains around the world, admitted to supplying products with falsified specifications to more than 600 customers and admitted the data fraud has been going on for nearly five decades.