Toyota's Earnings Jump 39% on Strong U.S. Sales The automaker gains as consumers shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles. A weak yen boosts profit. By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer August 5, 2006 Soaring U.S. gasoline prices may be depressing to its rivals and even many of its potential customers, but they have been a boon to Toyota Motor Corp. Japan's biggest automaker posted a 39.2% increase in profit for its fiscal first quarter Friday, a hefty jump helped by booming U.S. sales and a weaker yen that boosted the value of the company's overseas sales. Much of the automaker's growth came in North America, where Toyota is soaring on the strength of its reputation for building fuel-efficient cars. Full Article
