Japanese carmakers get a currency boost

Article Excerpt

The Bank of Japan continues to pump money into the Japanese economy through economic stimulus. That should benefit Toyota and Honda, as the plan pushes down the value of the yen and makes their cars and trucks cheaper in markets outside Japan. TOYOTA MOTOR CO. ADRs $118 (New York symbol TM; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $177.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.toyota.com) is the world’s largest carmaker. In its fiscal 2017 first quarter, which ended June 30, 2016, Toyota sold 2.17 million vehicles worldwide. That’s up 2.7% from a year earlier. Sales rose 8.7% in Japan, 7.8% in Europe and 17.1% in other parts of Asia. However, sales fell 1.9% in North America and 10.8% in other regions (Central and South America, Australia, Africa and the Middle East). Overall revenue in the quarter rose 5.6%, to $61.0 billion from $57.8 billion. Earnings per ADR fell…