Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 9.7 percent fall in quarterly operating
profit as an increase in investment spending outweighed brisk global
sales, but analysts expect another year of growth backed by the dollar's
recent rise.
The world's second-biggest auto maker said on
Wednesday operating profit totaled 405.13 billion yen ($3.64 billion) for
the first quarter ended June 30, falling short of a mean estimate of
443.33 billion in a survey of six brokerages
by Reuters Estimates.
Net profit fell 6.9 percent to 266.90 billion, compared with a
consensus estimate of 315.78 billion yen.
Toyota does not provide group-based profit forecasts. It kept its
parent-only forecasts unchanged, projecting a net profit of 500 billion
yen.
Japan's top auto maker has said it expects simply to match last year's
record consolidated profits despite an expected spike in volume sales as
it pours money into next-generation vehicle technology and new factories
to satisfy burgeoning demand.
Toyota shares ended the three months to June 30 down 1.2 percent at
3,970 yen, compared with a 0.7 percent fall in the transport sector
subindex ITEQP.
(Agencies) |