A major manufacturer of silicone products for the electronics and information industries, Shin-Etsu Polymer Co. Ltd. (TYO:7970), posted first quarter sales of 17.937 billion yen ($1.79 billion), representing a year-on-year decline of 1.1 percent. Meanwhile, operating profit for the same April–June period increased 118.5 percent, rising to 1.645 billion yen; pretax profit rose 3.9 percent, hitting 1.196 billion yen; and…