Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Reports Consolidated Financial Results For The Fiscal Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2009

TOKYO, Feb. 3  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) today announced its consolidated financial results for the fiscal third quarter and the fiscal nine months ended December 31, 2009.

  Financial Highlights



                                        Yen (millions)
                                        --------------
                   Three months Three months    Nine months  Nine months
                       ended        ended           ended        ended
                      Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,       Dec. 31,      Dec. 31,
                        2008        2009            2008         2009
                   ------------ ------------    -----------  ------------
  Net sales and
   other operating
   revenue            2,533,257    2,240,740      8,227,343     6,299,607

  Operating income      102,452      176,971        461,779       267,678

  Income before
   income taxes
   and equity in
   income of
   affiliates            86,750      171,013        460,436       242,611

  Net income
   attributable to
   Honda Motor
   Co., Ltd.             20,242      134,627        316,955       196,224

                                              Yen
                                              ---
  Basic net income
   attributable to
   Honda Motor
   Co., Ltd. per
   common share           11.16        74.19         174.67        108.14



  Third Quarter Results



Consolidated net sales and other operating revenue (herein referred to as "revenue") for the quarter amounted to JPY 2,240.7 billion (USD 24,329 million), a decrease of 11.5% from the same period in 2008, primarily due to unfavorable currency translation effects and decreased sales in the automobile business. Honda estimates that had the exchange rates remained the same from the corresponding period in 2008, revenue for the quarter would have decreased by approximately 6.0%.

Consolidated operating income for the quarter totaled JPY 176.9 billion (USD 1,922 million), an increase of 72.7%, due primarily to decreased SG&A expenses and R&D expenses and continuing cost reduction efforts, despite decreased profit attributable to decreased sales and the unfavorable impact of currency effects.

Consolidated income before income taxes and equity in income of affiliates for the quarter totaled JPY 171.0 billion (USD 1,857 million), an increase of 97.1% from the same period in 2008.

Equity in income of affiliates amounted to JPY 32.8 billion (USD 356 million) for the quarter, an increase of 6.5% from the corresponding period last year.

Honda's consolidated net income attributable to Honda Motor Co., Ltd. for the fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2009 totaled JPY 134.6 billion (USD 1,462 million), an increase of 565.1% from the same period in 2008. Basic net income attributable to Honda Motor Co., Ltd. per common share for the quarter amounted to JPY 74.19 (USD 0.81), an increase of JPY 63.03 from JPY 11.16 for the corresponding period last year. One Honda American Depository Share represents one common share.

*United States dollar amounts have been translated from yen solely for the convenience of the reader at the rate of  92.10 yen = U.S. $1, the mean of the telegraphic transfer selling exchange rate and the telegraphic transfer buying exchange rate prevailing on the Tokyo foreign exchange market on December 31, 2009.

Business Segment

With respect to Honda's sales for the fiscal third quarter by business segment, motorcycle unit sales totaled 2,378 thousand units, a decrease of 5.0% from the same period last year. Unit sales in Japan totaled 34 thousand units, a decrease of 22.7% compared to the same period last year. Unit sales outside of Japan totaled 2,344 thousand units, a decrease of 4.7% from the same period in 2008*, due mainly to decreased unit sales in Other Regions, including Brazil, more than offsetting increased unit sales in Asia. Revenue from sales to external customers decreased 20.2%, to JPY 273.4 billion (USD 2,969 million) from the same period last year, due mainly to decreased unit sales and unfavorable currency translation effects. Operating income decreased 37.2% to JPY 15.8 billion (USD 172 million) from the same period last year, due primarily to decreased profit attributable to decreased sales, more than offsetting decreased SG&A expenses and R&D expenses.

*Of the net sales of Honda-brand motorcycle products that are manufactured and sold by overseas affiliates accounted for under the equity method, those with respect to which parts for manufacturing were not supplied from Honda or its subsidiaries are not included in net sales and other operating revenue, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, these unit sales are not included in the financial results.  Sales of such products amounted to approximately 1,600 thousand units for the period.

Honda's automobile unit sales totaled 914 thousand units, a decrease of 2.8% from the same period last year. In Japan, unit sales amounted to 177 thousand units, an increase of 31.1% compared to the same period last year due mainly to favorable sales of Insight, Fit and Step WGN together with tax breaks and subsidies for fuel-efficient vehicles. Unit sales outside of Japan decreased 8.4% to 737 thousand units from the corresponding period last year, due mainly to decreased unit sales in North America and Europe, more than offsetting increased unit sales in Asia, especially in China and India. Revenue from sales to external customers decreased 11.4% to JPY 1,749.5 billion (USD 18,996 million) from the same period in 2008, due mainly to decreased unit sales and the unfavorable currency translation effects.  Operating income increased 56.5% to JPY 110.4 billion (USD 1,199 million) from the same period last year, due primarily to decreased SG&A expenses and R&D expenses and continuing cost reduction efforts, despite decreased profit attributable to decreased revenue and the unfavorable impact of currency effects.

Revenue from sales to external customers in the financial services business increased 5.8% to JPY 151.0 billion (USD 1,640 million) from the same period in 2008. Operating income increased 465.1% to JPY 53.6 billion (USD 583 million) from the same period in 2008, due primarily to the decreased allowance for losses on credit and lease residual values and a decrease in funding costs.

Honda's power product unit sales totaled 988 thousand units, a decrease of 11.4% from the same period in 2008. In Japan, unit sales totaled 74 thousand units, a decrease of 32.7% from the same period last year. Unit sales outside of Japan totaled 914 thousand units, a decrease of 9.1% from the corresponding period last year, due mainly to decreased unit sales in North America and Europe, more than offsetting increased unit sales in Asia. Revenue from sales to external customers in power product and other businesses decreased by 9.1% to JPY 66.7 billion (USD 724 million) from the same period last year, due mainly to decreased unit sales of power products. Honda reported an operating loss of JPY 2.9 billion (USD 32 million), primarily due to decreased profit attributable to decreased revenue, which more than offset decreased SG&A expenses.

Forecasts for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2010

In regard to the forecasts of the financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, Honda projects consolidated results to be as shown below:

The forecasts are based on the assumption that the average exchange rates for the Japanese yen to the U.S. dollar and the Euro will be JPY 87 and JPY 127, respectively, for the fourth quarter of the year ending March 31, 2010, and JPY 92 and JPY 131, respectively, for the full year ending March 31, 2010.

  Projected unit sales



                                Unit (thousands)      Changes from FY2009
                                ----------------      -------------------
                                                           (thousands)
                                                           -----------
  Motorcycle business                      9,515                    - 599
  Automobile business                      3,400                    - 117
  Power product and Other 
   businesses                              4,550                    - 637


  FY2010 Forecasts for Consolidated Results



                                                         Changes from FY
                                         Yen (billions)       2009
                                         -------------- ----------------
  Net sales and other operating revenue           8,530           - 14.8%

  Operating income                                  320           + 68.7%

  Income before income taxes and equity
   in income of affiliates                          300           + 85.5%

  Net income attributable to                        265           + 93.4%
  Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
                                               Yen
                                               ---
  Basic net income attributable to               146.04
  Honda Motor Co., Ltd. per common
   share

  Dividend per Share of Common Stock




The Board of Directors of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., at its meeting held on February 3, 2010, resolved to make the quarterly dividend JPY 10 per share of common stock, the record date of which is December 31, 2009.  The Company plans to distribute year-end dividend of JPY 10 per share for the year ended March 31, 2010.  As a result, total dividend for the year ended March 31, 2010 is planned to be JPY 36 per share, an increase of JPY 4 per share from the previously expected annual dividend of JPY 32 per share.

For additional information, please visit; http://world.honda.com/investors/meeting/ where you can download 3Q financial results and presentation materials.

This announcement contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Such statements are based on management's assumptions and beliefs taking into account information currently available to it.  Therefore, please be advised that Honda's actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, including general economic conditions in Honda's principal markets and foreign exchange rates between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar, the Euro and other major currencies, as well as other factors detailed from time to time.  The various factors for increases and decreases in income have been classified in accordance with a method that Honda considers reasonable. 

DATASOURCE: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.



CONTACT:  Mitsuhiro Okayama, Investor Relations, American Honda, Motor

Co., Inc. [phone]



Web Site:  http://world.honda.com/ 

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