TOKYO (AP) — Honda’s profit for the fiscal first quarter more than doubled from a year ago, as the Japanese automaker continues to tackle a turnaround from the first full year loss in its history.
Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday its April-June profit totaled 456.9 billion yen ($2.9 billion), up from 196.6 billion yen for the same period a year ago.
Quarterly sales rose 13.5% to 6.06 trillion yen ($38 billion), as vehicles sold well in the U.S. and India, according to the maker of the Accord sedan, Fit subcompact and Super Cub motorcycle.
Honda previously recorded a 423.9 billion yen ($2.7 billion) loss for the fiscal year ended in March, acknowledging heavy costs for its electric-vehicle plans, which didn’t measure up to the original ambitions, partly because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.
Analysts say many consumers weren’t ready to go electric. Honda has abandoned many of its plans for EV models.
The Trump administration has pulled back on incentive programs for EVs and withheld money to states wanting to add more EV charging stations, even as gas prices have soared over the war in Iran. Trump’s tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, lowered to 15% from the initial 25%, also worked to dent Honda’s profitability.
For the latest quarter, Honda’s motorcycle operations were highly lucrative with sales going strong in Brazil and India. Car sales grew in Japan and the U.S., while struggling in China.
Chief Financial Officer Masao Kawaguchi said Honda was working to offer the kinds of models that appeal to Chinese buyers, which are different from those in other markets.
“For that, we must fully utilize our resources in that market,” he told reporters.
That may still take another year or two, he added.
Kawaguchi said Honda’s overall first quarter results were very healthy, thanks partly to a favorable exchange rate.
Although the recent U.S.-Japan joint intervention has boosted the yen’s value somewhat, the U.S. dollar traded higher during the fiscal first quarter, compared with the previous year.
A cheap yen is a boon for Japanese exporters like Honda because it raises the value of its overseas earnings when translated into yen.
Honda is expecting a return to profit for this fiscal year and raised its profit forecast to 400 billion yen ($2.5 billion) from an earlier 260 billion yen ($1.6 billion).
All the Japanese automakers have been impacted by last week’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto in southwestern Japan. Some production lines were temporarily halted and supply chains disrupted.
Like other Japanese companies, Honda is going on a summer break later this month. Officials said they’re hoping things will have returned to normal by the time they’re back at work, and the exact impact of the quake on vehicle production is still unclear.
Honda shares jumped 3.9% in Tokyo trading after the financial results were released.
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Visitors examine a Honda Super-One EV during the Indonesia International Auto Show organized by the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO) in Tangerang, Indonesia, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
The association of European soccer leagues called for governance reform of FIFA on Wednesday, adding to the mounting pressure on president Gianni Infantino following his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
On the day that Infantino reportedly held a meeting with senior staff in Rabat, Morocco, European Leagues, which includes top competitions like the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, described the proposal as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how world soccer's governing body operates.
It said it raised “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making.”
“Now more than ever, FIFA requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game.”
In the statement, European Leagues hit out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and said “FIFA must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions.”
It said that until there was reform it would reject the “expansion or creation” of FIFA competitions.
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office.”
Later on Wednesday, FIFA denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting of the final at the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main co-hosts for the 2030 edition. Morocco hopes to host the final at the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca; Spain has at least two contenders — the home stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
A FIFA spokesperson said it's “false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”
Also Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence Infantino. He said the FIFA president committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers.
“Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino," said Carney, who had appeared alongside Infantino at several events during the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The latest condemnations of Infantino's leadership come after a tumultuous week, which has raised questions about his presidency of FIFA ahead of elections in March.
European soccer's governing body UEFA has applied the most intense pressure by voting to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with the controversial plans to sell profits in its top competition through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) that would run tournaments.
Even after Infantino's climbdown UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership — possibly paving the way for a challenge to his presidency. The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) also said FIFA leadership had “stopped putting football first.”
On Tuesday top FIFA officials Arsène Wenger and secretary-general Mattias Grafström distanced themselves from the FFE plans, which emphasized divisions within the organization that were evident when Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by the president's lack of openness.
Wednesday's summit in Rabat was dubbed a “crisis meeting” in media reports amid growing expectation that Infantino will be challenged in next year's election when he was aiming for to win a fourth and final term in office.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino is silhouetted as he walks past the World Cup trophy after addressing the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
A view of building where FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds a senior leadership meeting in Sale, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Str)
A vehicle carrying FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives for a senior leadership meeting in Sale, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)
FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino looks on during the women's Premier League match between Al Ahli FC and Al Ittihad FC at the Al- Ahli Club stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Dec 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
