Honda's quarterly profit sinks 6 percent amid quake damage

TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co. recorded a better-than-expected 174.6 billion yen profit ($1.7 billion) for the fiscal first quarter, as it gradually recovers from damage caused by a quake in southwestern Japan.

Tokyo-based Honda, which makes the Accord sedan and Asimo robot, kept its full year forecasts unchanged at 390 billion yen ($3.8 billion) in profit, up 13 percent from the previous year.

Among other Japanese automakers, Nissan Motor Co. reported last week a 136.4 billion yen ($30.7 million) profit for the fiscal quarter through June, down nearly 11 percent from the same period a year ago, after a mileage testing scandal at its supplier hit its minicar sales in Japan.