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Mazda's first-quarter profit slumps on weak sales in U.S. and China

TOKYO — Mazda reported a 79% drop in quarterly operating profit, falling significantly short of estimates, as it continues to struggle with declining U.S. and Chinese sales, while a strengthening yen also cut into its bottom line. Operating profit at JapanÂ’s No.5 automaker was 7.0 billion yen ($64 million) in the first quarter ended June, versus around 33 billion yen a year ago and less than half of an average forecast for 18.5 billion yen from analysts polled by Refinitiv. Mazda, however, reiterated its forecast for a 33% rise in operating profit to 110 billion yen in the year ending March. ThursdayÂ’s profit announcement marks MazdaÂ’s poorest first-quarter operating performance since the June 2012 quarter. The automaker has been struggling with falling demand for its cars over the past year or so, while it is also recovering from flood-related damage to its factories in Japan that led to a quarterly loss in the July quarter of 2018. The Nikkei business daily on Wednesday had reported that operating profit at the company would fall around 70% for the quarter due to lower sales in the United States. Mazda posted global sales of 353,000 units for the quarter, down 12% from a year ago. Its sales in the United States, its biggest market, fell 15% to 68,000 units, while in China, Mazda sold 54,000 vehicles, down 21% on the year. A trade war between the top two economies and slowing growth in China, the worldÂ’s biggest auto market, have prompted a broad-based sales downturn in the global auto sector. Automakers are grappling with easing demand for cars just as they must invest heavily in new technologies including electric cars, autonomous driving technologies and ride-sharing services to survive a major industry shift away from car ownership. Many of MazdaÂ’s rivals at home and abroad have been reporting disappointing quarterly results, with Nissan and Ford also announcing job cuts and possible plant closures earlier this month. The United States is a key source of revenue for Mazda, but it imports all its vehicles sold there, exposing it to a threatened hike in U.S. tariffs on imported cars from Japan. To limit its vulnerability to possible tariffs and currency fluctuations, Mazda is investing in a new plant in the U.S. state of Alabama, a joint project with Toyota.

Masamichi Kogai new Mazda president and CEO

There's some executive rearranging going on in the top suite at Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan, with current CEO Takashi Yamanouchi telling reporters there "I'd like to hand over the work to younger people" now that the company has returned to profitability. Yamanouchi became CEO on November 19, 2008 of an independent Mazda that had to fight for its future in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis. What followed was four years of losses before finally getting back to black last year.
Masamichi Kogai (pictured) will be appointed the new president and CEO on June 25, pending approval at the company's annual general shareholders' meeting. Kogai assisted Seita Kanai with the production-efficiency initiative that Mazda called Mono Tsukuri Innovation, which worked to give export-dependent Mazda the best chance at profitability in spite of a rising yen. Kogai, lately in charge of production and purchasing, has been with the company since 1977 and worked in areas from R&D to logistics.
Kanai, who headed the Mono Tsukuri effort and was among the leadership on Skyactiv, will be promoted from executive vice president to vice chairman. Akira Marumoto will become executive VP of Mazda and assistant to new president Kogai. Yamanouchi will remain Chairman of the Board. There's a short press release below to make it official.

2018 Mazda CX-5 spied testing in Southern California

It appears the replacement for the Mazda CX-5 is on its way. The current model, though a few years old at this point, is still one of our favorite crossovers on the market. Its combination of handsome styling, practicality, and a genuine fun-to-drive nature make it a winner in our hearts. Hopefully this new model doesn't stray too far from that winning recipe. At least on the outside, that seems to be the case. The spy photos reveal Mazda's Kodo design language in full bloom. The general shape is the same as the current model, but the curves are a little tighter and appear similar to the new CX-9 and Chinese-only CX-4. The grille loses the horizontal bars for a deep-set mesh pattern, while the whole fascia appears to be more upright. The headlights and taillights look to be slimmer and slightly re-sculpted versions of the current shape. Other details for the upcoming CX-5 are scarce. The crossover is expected to debut next year as a 2018 model. It's unknown what engines or transmissions will be available, though the current powertrains are likely to carry over. There's also the rumor of a Mazda diesel making its way over, but, as always, it seems like a long shot. Related Video: