Toyota to post around $13 billion annual operating profit, Nikkei reports

Tokyo — Toyota Motor Corp. is expected to post operating profit of around ¥1.3 trillion ($13.1 billion) for the year ended March, 3.7 times more than the previous year, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday. That figure will be ¥150 billion more than the forecast the automaker made in February, the Nikkei, said without citing its sources. Toyota's annual operating profit has not exceeded ¥1 trillion since the Lehman crisis of 2008, it said. The company posted ¥2.27 trillion operating profit for the year through March 2008, the report said. In February, Toyota raised its net profit forecast for the year through March by more than 10 percent to ¥860 billion on strong US sales of the Camry sedan and other vehicles. Toyota's press office was unavailable for comment. Monday is a public holiday in Japan. — Reuters