Toshiba 2009/10 op profit seen at 100 bln yen-paper

TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp (6502.T) will likely see an operating profit of about 100 billion yen ($1 billion) in the year to March 2010 thanks to cost cutting and growth in its infrastructure business, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

That would be much higher than the consensus estimate for a 103 billon yen loss in a poll of 13 analysts by Reuters Estimates.

Hit by sliding prices and sluggish demand for semiconductors, Toshiba, the world's No. 2 maker of NAND flash memory after Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), has projected an operating loss of 280 billion yen in the year to the end of this month. Facing its worst-ever annual loss, it mapped out a $3.3 billion cost cut plan in January by slashing capital spending and contract jobs.

The Nikkei business daily reported lower fixed costs would likely bring Toshiba back to the black next year, despite persistent weakness in the chip and consumer electronics sectors.

Toshiba will likely only break even on a net earnings basis because of a 35 billion yen restructuring charge, the paper added.

Toshiba officials were not immediately available for comments. ($1=98.66 Yen) (Reporting by Sachi Izumi)