Toyota posts record net profit in the second quarter

Japan's biggest automaker Toyota said Tuesday that its group net profit in the second quarter of 2015 rose 10.0 percent on yearly basis to a record 646.39 billion yen ( 5.2 billion U.S. dollars), bolstered by robust sales in North America and the yen's depreciation.

In the three-month period ended in June 30, Toyota's consolidated operating profit climbed 9.1 percent to a record 756. 00 billion yen (6.10 billion U.S. dollars) and sales rose 9.3 percent to 6.99 trillion yen (56.37 billion U.S. dollars).

It also revised upward its group sales outlook slightly for the current business year through next March to 27.8 trillion yen from 27.5 trillion yen estimated previously.

In the reporting period, Toyota's global sales dropped 11,000 vehicles from a year earlier to 2.5 million. But sales in North America saw an increase, which rose to 729,000.

Regarding the profit rise, Toyota managing officer Tetsuya Otake said in a statement"Favourable foreign exchange rates and cost reduction efforts were main positive factors."