TOKYO, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co expects improving sales to return its car business to profitability in the second half even without the support of its robust financial services division, a top executive said on Wednesday.
Honda, Japan's No.2 automaker, reported an unexpected profit for the April-June first quarter last week thanks to a 46.8 billion yen ($491 million) boost from the financial services business, which benefited partly from lower interest rates.
"We're expecting to sell just short of 100,000 more cars in the second half (than in the first), so that would result in a profit," Chief Financial Officer Yoichi Hojo told Reuters in an interview.
Losses from a stronger yen assumed for October-March would offset the absence of restructuring costs in that period, but better vehicle sales would have a net positive impact, Hojo said. (Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Chris Gallagher)