Japanese automaker Nissan on Wednesday said first-half net profit fell 12 percent as a strong yen dragged on its recovery from the March earthquake-tsunami, but lifted its earnings outlook.

Japan's second-biggest automaker posted an April-September first half net income of 183.4 billion yen ($2.3 billion based on Nissan's rates), on sales of 4.4 trillion yen. Operating profit fell 7.5 percent to 309.7 billion yen.

However, the maker of the all-electric Leaf lifted its annual forecast and said it expected a full-year net income of 290 billion yen compared to a June forecast of 270 billion yen.

"In spite of unfavourable currency fluctuations, numerous natural disasters and a volatile global economy, we remain on track to deliver a significantly profitable full-year performance," Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said in a statement.

The automaker said net profit declined to 98.4 billion yen in the three months ended September, down from 101.7 billion yen a year earlier.

Nissan said it sold 1,169,000 vehicles in the second quarter, up 10.8 percent from a year earlier.

Japanese firms were hit hard in the aftermath of the March disasters, with the likes of Nissan, Toyota and Honda slashing production and shutting plants due power shortages and a component supply crunch.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 destroyed entire towns, left more than 20,000 dead or missing and crippled power-generating facilities, including a nuclear power plant at the centre of an ongoing crisis.

However Nissan's recovery outpaced its peers Toyota and Honda, with the company boosting production levels from the same time a year ago.

But the recent strength of the yen, which on Monday hit a post-World War II high against the dollar before Japanese authorities staged a market intervention, has threatened to undermine that recovery.

A strong yen erodes repatriated profits and makes domestically-made goods less competitive when sold overseas, prompting concerns that Japanese firms may speed the shift of production overseas.

Automakers have also been affected by flooding in Thailand, forcing the likes of Nissan to halt production amid a shortage of key components.

On Monday Nissan rival Honda reported net profit for the fiscal first half plunged 77.4 percent year-on-year and held off giving a full-year earnings forecast to assess the impact the flooding on operations.

Nissan in June unveiled a six-year business plan in which it aimed to achieve a global share of eight percent by the end of fiscal 2016.

Nissan, which is 44.3 percent owned by French partner Renault, also said it aimed to lift its operating profit margin to eight percent in that period under its "Nissan Power 88" growth plan.

It said it would also aim for a 10 percent share of the Chinese market, the world's biggest, while boosting its presence in economies such as India and Brazil.

Nissan shares closed down 2.77 percent at 701 yen in Tokyo ahead of the announcement.