Japan quake helps GM profits soar in Q2

With giants Toyota and Honda hobbled by factory shutdowns in Japan after the March 11 disaster, GM's US market share surged to more than 20 per cent while it jacked up vehicle prices.

Earnings also grew faster than volumes in its global markets -- except Latin America adding a big chunk to the company's bottom line.

"For the first time in a long time we are stabilizing the US market share, halting the erosion... that occurred over an extended period of time," chief executive Dan Akerson told analysts.

But the company forecast a modest slowdown in the second half, as the US economy struggles to gain traction and Japanese producers return to the market in force.

Net income for the quarter to June rose 89 per cent to a better-than-expected $2.5 billion, or $1.54 a share, from a year earlier, the company said.

Total revenue grew $6.2 billion to $39.4 billion, with pre-tax adjusted profit in the key North America division up $600 million to $2.2 billion.

GM returned to a $102 million profit in Europe, from a loss of $160 million a year earlier.

In its international operations division, which includes the giant emerging economies India and China, earnings were up $100 million, while Latin America returns were down by the same amount.

Vehicle deliveries jumped 100,000 units in North America and also grew in Europe and Latin America, while falling 75,000 units in the international division.

GM hailed "a solid quarter... good revenue growth, good profit growth, good cash flow," chief financial officer Dan Ammann told CNBC television.

"Most important is the success we've had in the marketplace with our vehicles. We had a significant increase in global market share, improvement in prices, much lower incentives.

"This price incentive/share combination is really what drove this quarter," he continued.

The company said it expected second half earnings would be "modestly" lower than the first half, but that the full-year picture "will show solid improvement over 2010."

"GM's investments in fuel economy, design and quality are paying off around the world as our global market share growth and financial results bear out," said Akerson.

Battered by the US recession, GM filed for bankruptcy protection on June 1, 2009, and subsequently emerged as a new entity led by the US government, which pumped in some $50 billion to help the auto giant survive.

Marking its successful emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy, GM raised $23.1 billion last November in the largest public offering in history.

But the US government still owns a large chunk of the company.

"Now two years removed from chapter 11, the GM of chapter 2011 is in very good shape and getting better all the time," vice president Mark Reuss said at an auto conference in Traverse City, Michigan.

"There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future we have moved beyond survive and are headed full throttle toward thrive."