Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake

13 years, 7 months ago - 12 May 2011

Toyota has announced profits of $314 million for the first three months of 2011, down 77 percent versus the automaker's fiscal fourth quarter a year earlier. Toyota still managed a profit in spite of the March 11 earthquake that shuttered most Japanese plants, yet the $314 million is only a fourth of what analysts were expecting Toyota to make. Toyota's sales were predictably low for the quarter, and revenue was hurt as a result.

Toyota's profits for its fiscal fourth quarter may be disappointing, but the automaker is likely to release still worse numbers for the period through June. The automaker is still struggling through supply issues, with many plants running at only 50-percent capacity if they're running at all. Further, the automaker says that dealers in the U.S. and China are likely to see less product in the coming months, which could lead to much lower revenue.

On a brighter note, Toyota now says that production should ramp up to 70 percent of capacity by June, up from previous estimates of July or August. That should help get Toyota back on its feet faster, which is good for everyone.

For the year, Toyota earned $5.9 billion, or nearly three times the profit of fiscal year 2009. Revenue was also up by .2 percent to $237 billion on sales of 7.3 million vehicles, up by 71,000 units compared to 2009.