Honda profits down after tsunami

Honda said today that its quarterly earnings tumbled 56% compared with the same period last year, battered by the strong yen and production disruptions from the March tsunami disaster.

The Japanese maker of the Accord sedan and Odyssey minivan said net profit for the July-September period fell to 60.4 billion yen. Sales sank 16.3%.

Honda said it was scrapping its previous full-year forecast because the full impact of flooding in Thailand, where the company has suppliers and assembly lines, was unclear.

The company said it would release a forecast as soon as possible.