Toyota-led profit gains at risk as carmakers face strong yen

Tokyo

JAPANESE carmakers may have run out of the fuel that's driven profits higher for four years: the weaker yen.

Toyota Motor Corp and Japan's six other carmakers may combine to earn 4.55 trillion yen (S$56 billion) in the fiscal year through March 2017, according to analysts estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That's a 5.5 per cent increase from what analysts are projecting for the period ending next month, and would be the slowest pace of growth in five years.