Toyota Motor Corp. became the first Japanese firm to top the 2 trillion yen line in profits, driven by brisk sales in North America and Europe and the weaker yen.
The Aichi Prefecture-based automaker's operating profit for the 2006 business year, which ended in March, jumped 19.2 percent from the previous year to 2.24 trillion yen, a new record for the seventh straight year and making it the first Japanese firm to top the 2 trillion yen line in operating profits.
Toyota meanwhile gave a modest forecast for the current year through next March, anticipating only a slight increase in profits due to an expected slowdown in North American market growth.