Mazda, the smallest of Japan’s top five car makers, will likely report a 70% jump in first-half operating profit year-on-year thanks to brisk sales in Europe, the Nihon Keizai newspaper said on Friday, according to Reuters.
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Mazda, one-third owned by Ford, is expected to report about 25 billion yen ($US227.6 million) in operating profit for the six months to September, on revenues of 1.22 billion yen, up 5%, the paper said, according to the report.
Citing the paper, Reuters said Mazda European sales appear to have risen 33% aided by strong sales of the Mazda6 (Atenza), a car line developed under an entirely new product and design strategy to put the company on a firm recovery track.
Domestic sales seem to have increased 6%, although US sales were down 10%, the paper said, according to Reuters.
The news agency noted that Mazda, in the midst of a five-year turnaround plan, said in July revenues rose 10% in the April-June quarter, citing strong sales in Europe. It is due to reveal its half-year business results on November 6, Reuters added.
Separately, Mazda’s European headquarters on Friday said sales for the period January to the end of August of this year reached 131,725 sales in Europe, 23,948 units (22.2%) above the same period last year, making Mazda the fastest-growing brand in terms of volume on the continent. The company claimed the Mazda6 was also the top-selling Japanese car in the European C/D segment, with 59,449 registrations in the period.
September sales of 24,550 units were up 12% over last year, the claimed best September for the brand in 12 years, while market share was said to be the best in more than five years, rising to 1.6%, up 0.1% on 2002.
