Toyota profit slides on Quake errors

TOKYO - Toyota's first-quarter profit crumpled more than 75 percent after the earthquake of March and tsunami wiped out parts suppliers in the north-eastern Japan, passenger car production significantly disrupt.

The manufacturer of the popular Prius hybrid gave no forecast for the current financial year to March 2012, citing uncertain prospects as production continues to be hampered by lack of parts. Toyota is expected to lose its place as the world's best-selling automaker General Motors co. this year because of accidents.

The car manufacturers who said he and others are to keep "crunched our teeth" jobs in Japan Toyota President Akio Toyoda. He promised to disclose earnings forecasts from mid-June.

Toyota Motor Corp. reported Wednesday, January-March earnings slipped to 25.4 billion yen (314 million US dollars) from 112.2 billion yen a year earlier. For the year to end March 2011 Toyota result doubled, indicating that the Japanese automaker on the way to the restoration had been from its recall crisis, when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake met on 11 March.

But Toyota also said efforts to resolve production, including the use of other plants and search for spare parts, were better than originally expected, recover Disadter levels with automotive industry gradually in Japan and abroad from next month up to 70%.

Toyota said earlier, that such improvements with full recovery start production in Japan by July, and overseas in August, not until the end of this year would not.

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"Back to normal and restore from the disaster get our priority our production", a dark Toyoda told reporters. As a full recovery would be nor was unknown, he said.

By the end of may, the crisis has the RSC production of 550,000 vehicles in Japan, and a further 350,000 overseas costs. Production is now back to around 50 per cent.

"The revival of our company, we want to bring Japan's comeback," said Toyoda.

Analysts say he Quake and tsunami have bitterly hurt Toyota, but a production recovery could come quickly.

"I believe chances can be good, that repeatedly production would be speedy," said Shotaro Noguchi, analyst at SMBC Nikko capital markets in Tokyo, in a recent report.

Yet Toyota may face a different kind of challenge in the months because the Government for a shutdown of the nuclear power plant Hamaoka has asked that is located on a fault line and provides the power supply for the region, where Toyota has its headquarters, and has many plants and suppliers.

The request came because of growing fears about the safety of nuclear energy after the tsunami work on the northeast coast, send the cooling systems in the Fukushima Dai-Ichi to the verge of a meltdown damaged.

Toyoda has not said how much the Hamaoka would reduce shut down production, but promised it would do to secure their utmost to a stable power supply.

He said production on all rows for all models would again be at the Disadter level of November or December at the latest, most, but efforts are under way to do it faster.

The hit taken Toyota makes it likely a resurgent General Motors the title of world's no. 1 manufacturer of vehicle regain annual sales is. In 2008, Toyota overtook GM as the world's largest automaker, a distinction the American manufacturer had held since 1932.

Toyota said it 7.31 million vehicles for the fiscal year to March 2011 to by 71,000 vehicles from the previous year sold.

For the period January-March, Toyota sold 1.79 million vehicles worldwide. This is less than GM sold 2.22 million vehicles and less than no. 3 automaker, Volkswagen AG, Germany, 1.99 million.

Toyoda said that the automaker was still about 30 types of parts, which was an improvement over the 150, it lacked in. Toyota hopes, with 70 percent of its pre-quake levels produced by June.

Car manufacturers of the full-year results highlight how, when the earthquake struck, had Toyota on the way to a recovery from the callback was worldwide, been fiasco, affect 14 million vehicles, dragged his reputation for quality affected.

Sales in the January March quarter dipped 12 percent on the previous year to 4.6 trillion yen (57 billion dollars), according to Toyota. For the year to end March 2011 doubled profit on 408.1 billion yen ($ 5 billion) of 209.4 billion yen in the previous year. Annual sales edges up 0.2 percent to 18,99 trillion yen ($234 billion).

Toyota said vehicle sales fell in Japan, North America and Europe, but it had robust sales in other regions, like the rest of Asia, Africa and South America.

Toyota fights rival, especially in the United States, where the April sales rose by only 1 per cent over the previous year, while GM car and truck sales rose 26 percent and South Korean Hyundai Motor Company 40 percent of sales posted a jump.

Like other Japanese exporters Toyota by the rising yen, violated been that erodes overseas income. The dollar now has 80 yen from about 90 yen a year before in the vicinity of fallen.

"Despite negative such as such as a rapid rise in the yen and the earthquake, our profit strongly rose, thanks to the massive cost and distribution to reduce efforts, factors", said result Toyoda, referring to the year as a whole.

Honda reported a quarterly profit drops 38 percent in the last month, has said it did not expect full production in Japan back to the end of the year.

Toyota shares closed up 0.6 percent to 3,270 yen ($40) in Tokyo, shortly before the earnings were announced. That is from before the earthquake are still 9 percent.

Copyright 2011, the associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

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Quake automakers can dethrone as top Toyota.

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Co can glide paragraph 3 in the production car manufacturer after General Motors and Volkswagen due to Japan's earthquake and nuclear crisis, the local edition of almost two thirds in March alone slashed.

A lack of parts in the course of 11 March earthquake and tsunami has Japan's auto sector supply chain, deportation policy while damage to one large nuclear power plant supplies has disrupted.

Investors await overseas rivals benefit hinaufgeschiebt of a continuing crisis in the Japanese issue shares in the South Korean Hyundai Motor and associate Kia Motors altitude record on Monday.

In Japan and in North America, Hyundai, GM and Ford Motor Co, the largest automotive winner be managing director of the foresight (Shanghai) automotive industry consultant said Yale Zhang, co. This is because the three producers can find spare parts easier than the Japanese producers.

In the Japanese market Hyundai and Kia said the main beneficiaries of the struggling Japanese auto industry Suh Sung-Moon, analyst at Korea & investments in Seoul.

American auto companies GM and Ford are sales and market increase parts and deeper intervention in the North American small-car market that dominated the last Japan automaker was making two decades, said David Whiston, analyst at Morningstar in Chicago.

Honda Motor Co., Japan's no. 3 automaker and fourth largest in the US market, said on Monday, it, take to the end of the year would before production to normal, recent comments by Toyota Echo returned.

Honda reported that domestic production shrank 63 percent in March, said output at 50 percent of the original plans would be by the end of June.

Domestic production at Toyota, the world's largest automaker, 63 percent fell in March, while Japan's no. 2 Nissan Motor Co said 52 percent was the illustration. Nissan is no. 6 in the US market.

Toyota is almost certainly, his top spot in the global car production, losing a title by overtaking it in 2008 General Motors reached. GM looks like it will slide into the top spot and Toyota behind Volkswagen, which is currently no. 3 could fall, said Koji Endo, Managing Director of advanced research Japan in Tokyo.

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Toyota, the 8.42 million vehicles last year compared to GM sold 8.39 million, was on the route said Endo after sales of about 6.5 million units this year. Other analysts, without clear guidelines of Toyota, expect approximately 6.3 million to 7 million units sales.

"Most likely GM produced 8 million plus and Volkswagen, as most probably third Toyota GM first will be produced about 7 million", Endo said.

Volkswagen has a stated goal of taking Toyota's no. 1 spot, and the 2011 expects sales to top record 7.14 million vehicles, which it sold last year.

Toyota to lose the view on his top ranking played down.

"When Toyota became no. 1 was it go from here, no champagne corks", Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said. The March sales the worst were he since records began in 1988, added in the year added.

His cut later on standard & poor's Outlook on six major Japanese car manufacturers and suppliers "negative" from "stable."

Johnson Controls Inc., one of the world's largest auto supplier, in the Monday is a drop in the third quarter sales of $500 million because of the decrease to Japanese auto production projected.

Production has disturbed also outside of Japan, as factories in Europe, North America, and the other Asia scale back due to parts shortages.

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The impact on the production is however smaller related Johnson to the halving of Japan's automobile production while some analysts, including Brian second the quarter seen from Barclays Capital calendar.

Johnson said that he expected that Japanese auto output to fall by 50 percent in the second quarter, close to normal in the third quarter and produce more than normal in the fourth quarter.

No clarity
Japanese car manufacturers have not predict, which will have impact on the result of the production cuts, but analysts have since the disaster, slashing was forecasts.

11 Analysts, the revised average based their forecasts on billion yen ($ 3.44 billion) operating profit for the year after the earthquake for Toyota by March 2012.

That's his results on 11 May to 65 percent from the consensus of 804 billion yen of 21 analysts before the quake, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. announce Toyota, but it is not sure if it will provide its own forecast.

"In overseas markets, consumers can and (non-Japanese owner) will probably take some share, but I think it is a question, or temporary release Anderungen-if those will be sustainable-my guess is that they tend to temporary", said Christopher Richter, an auto analyst at CLSA Asia Pacific markets in Tokyo.

Tokyo transport equipment sub index has bounced around 14 percent of its post - quake deeply, but is still more than 6 percent below where it was hit before the disaster.

On the other hand, Hyundai has 30 percent over the same period on expectations it surged the suffering its Japanese competitors will benefit. Hyundai shares rose 5.6 percent to a record high on Monday, while KIA shares made also a data set, by 3.2 per cent.

"These are good times for South Korean car manufacturers." "Profits they will market share, raise utilization rates," said Park Fund Manager at ING investment management in Seoul Jong-min. "incentives, reduced the helping to reduce costs."

Hyundai and Kia were no. 5 by global sales last year.

The disaster was a major setback for the world's third largest economy, with exports data falling a record faster than forecast in March and industrial production due on Thursday expected to decline. Some economists expect industrial production fall about a quarter, month after month, in March.

The decline in Japanese vehicle having output steel of main suppliers, with a weight of about profits and the Outlook for companies including JFE holdings by fed.

Many companies are expected to refrain from it 2012 earnings guidance while the current fourth quarter reporting season and those who will do a gloomy picture expected to paint.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.

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Quake delays Toyota Prius minivan launch

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp says, that this the introduction of the Prius hybrid van in Japan, in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami parts supply in delay.

Toyota spokesman said Paul Nolasco Wednesday planned world's no. 1 automaker for the expansion of the Prius minivan in April. But the disaster in Northern Japan crippled supply chains and destroyed stores, force, Toyota, to move the start.

Since March 14 has Toyota secure car production due to the difficulty of components, such as rubber parts and Electronics was discontinued. The company said it will suspend output to Sunday - production loss of 140,000 cars.

Copyright 2011, the associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

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Quake could cause large car price increases

There are some tentative signs that the Japanese automotive industry comes slowly back to life after the deadly earthquake and tsunami, which struck the country March 11. But American consumers should brace for the probability that they pay more for cars with Japanese nameplates in the coming months.

Mitsubishi and Nissan expect that at least some of their factories again, although industry officials warn that plans change quickly in the days and weeks ahead, could in operation this week continued uncertainty about factors such as basic communication and transport.

Japanese auto plants remained the most idle 10 days after the disaster, at least in part because of the crisis on the Fukushima Dai-Ichi makes nuclear complex and nationwide shortage has caused it.

The crisis has reached, automotive parts always in short supply across the Pacific with Japanese made. Several automakers, Toyota and Subaru, including have curbed production at their North American 'transplantation' assembly lines, while General Motors assembly plant in Shreveport, La., down for the week due to a lack of Japanese manufactured parts. GM is also production in the factory engine Tonawanda, in nearby Buffalo, containment and release of 59 of 623 workers.

"The impact of this [crisis] has yet to unfold," said Mark Reuss, President of GM's North American operations, adding that the ripple effects have Japanese auto suppliers close - or their delivery disturbed - "could be larger pipelines for everyone today white."

Deutsche Bank automotive analyst Rod pool said it is "still too early to estimate the impact of the supply chain, or how long energy conservation measures (such as the rolling blackouts felt across much of Japan) production could potentially limit."

But a report by IHS global insight makes claims, that all major auto manufacturers by the Japanese disaster and the subsequent lack of parts, probably by be affected are mid - to late April.

"It not a question of, but when," said Michael Robinet, Director of automotive forecast.

The effects of the disaster differently so far automobile manufacturers and suppliers. Nissan and Toyota have a range of facilities based in Northeast Japan, the region most hit by the disaster. On the other hand, said Suzuki's facilities based South of the nation "and not useful direct impact, suffering Kurt Sanger of Deutsche Bank."

But parts shortages and the situation electricity are wild cards, which threaten all Japanese automakers.

Sanger said Nissan has between four to six weeks of the imported parts for its North American plants, but he warned that that Honda trouble could face, how new 2012 launch civic is if at some point in the may re-opened the supply line is not ready.

Honda has delayed some U.S. merchants orders due to delays in the production.

For its part, Toyota has said "Every effort to long-term impact on the Prius availability to minimize makes." But the timing of the crisis is particularly bad for the world's top car manufacturers as it prepares to launch the Prius several additional hybrid models name as part of a new brand in a brand.

With a major engine plant may consider the Commission for a longer period of time, Nissan the possibility of shifting part of the production in a Powertrain plant in the United States it could filed shipping engines back to Japan as soon as home market assembly plants resume functioning.

American driver, which must have an eye on a new Japanese car, truck or crossover to stretch your budget a bit more than expected.

A number of online services that track of automotive pricing report, that Asian manufacturers and their dealers already begin to increase incentives, prices in the wake of the crisis still put an end to areas.

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Shuster, the CarWoo.com, said Darren Toyota prices immediately after the earthquake increases.

Japanese automakers and dealers are also eliminate the discounts and other incentives, which were before the Japanese natural disaster, according to Jesse Toprak, Vice President of industry trends and insight in TrueCar.com. The impact, he warned could "weeks, if not months." Last

Nissan expected, launch a series of component plants on Monday and bring your to at least some assembly lines by mid of week. A high official Nissan car manufacturers said "The situation hour by hour, partly by part tracked."

The disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima complicates an already serious crisis for the automotive industry.

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The loss of the system of six atomic nuclear reactors causes headaches for the Japanese manufacturer of steel producers on silicon chip manufacturers who are faced with the nightmare of rolling blackouts.  Several automakers have reported suffering serious damage to equipment cool briefly during the blackouts in the molten metals.

Now, because the damaged reactors emitted radiation still, is there is growing concern not only about the impact on Japanese water and food, but were also on the country.

"We do not believe, is harmful radiation", Dave Reuter, Vice President of communications for Nissan North America said operations, but "should correspond to radioactive material our cars and trucks, the which will we all necessary precautionary measures take, to ensure that harmful material not in the country brought and to partners of carriage including customers."

The crisis is Japanese car manufacturers in a bad time for American drivers - such as automotive demand usually in the Spring Summit. Although the current crisis proves short-lived, can try the Japanese automaker, take advantage of the situation to push up prices, in the hope that the consequences of the increasingly strong yen.

Strong competitive pressure from United States, Korean and European automakers could force, to rethink this strategy Japan's automakers. But then again, the entire industry can see this as an opportunity to increase the prices, something that was difficult, during the recession, if the most lavish incentives car buyers could not showrooms again.

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