Toyota, Aichi Pref., Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday posted its first rise in consolidated net profit for the April-September period in three years, with profit increasing 26.1 pct from a year earlier to 2,236.4 billion yen. Robust sales of new vehicles, particularly hybrids, in Japan, along with a weaker yen and lower U.S. tariff burdens, boosted earnings. The Japanese auto giant also outlined progress in its business restructuring efforts, announcing plans to make robotics, including factory automation, a core business in the future. Toyota’s group operating profit for the first half of fiscal 2026 climbed 9.2 pct to 2,191.1 billion yen, as cost cuts and other efforts offset a 465-billion-yen drag on profits from higher raw material costs, including those stemming from the worsening situation in the Middle East. Sales rose for the sixth consecutive first half, up 9.5 pct to 26,962.4 billion yen. Global vehicle sales by the Toyota group, including those at subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co., fell 4.6 pct to 5,381,000 units. The decline was partly due to Hino Motors Ltd. being excluded from the group’s consolidated results. Sales rose after excluding Hino from the previous year’s figure. For the full fiscal year ending March 2027, Toyota revised up its consolidated net profit forecast to 3.57 trillion yen from 3.25 trillion yen. Meanwhile, it lowered its sales forecast to 53.5 trillion yen from 54 trillion yen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
