Renault reports higher earnings as sales rise

PARIS (AP) — French car maker Renault says higher sales and further progress on its industrial turnaround plan helped drive a nearly 1 billion euro increase in its earnings last year.

Europe's number three car maker says Friday it made 2.8 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in 2015, up from 1.9 billion a year earlier.

The maker of the best-selling Clio hatchback said registrations of new cars and light trucks rose 3.3 percent to 2.8 million last year. It forecast 2 percent market growth in Europe this year, and between 1 and 2 percent growth globally.