Toyota Earnings Guidance Was Lousy. At Least There's a Nintendo Tie-Up.

marketwatch
09 Feb 2023

Toyota said it was absorbing the burden on suppliers caused by soaring materials and energy prices.

AFP via Getty Images

Toyota Motor reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings Thursday. It also announced a promotion with Nintendo that could have Grand Highlander customers playing Mario Kart 8—when they aren’t driving, of course.

Thursday, Toyota (ticker: TM) beat quarterly earnings estimates for its fiscal third quarter and stuck to its full-year forecast as the impacts of the global semiconductor shortage and soaring materials prices continue.

Toyota earned about $7.3 billion in operating income from $74 billion in sales. Wall Street was looking for $5.9 billion in operating profit from closer to $70 billion in sales.

Profit margins came in better than expected and the company said it was “absorbing the burden” on suppliers caused by soaring materials and energy prices to strengthen competitiveness across the supply chain.

For the full year, Toyota left operating profit guidance of $18.2 billion unchanged, but the company has already earned $15.9 billion so far in its fiscal year 2023. That implies just $2.3 billion in the final quarter of the year, which sounds conservative. Analysts are projecting $5.6 billion in fiscal Q4 operating profit.

“We are striving to quickly evaluate alternative semiconductors and respond to design changes in order to secure stable procurement of semiconductors,” the company said in a statement.

Shares are up 0.2% in overseas trading. U.S. listed American depositary receipts, or ADRs, are up 0.3%. S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are up 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively.

Guidance might be disappointing, but at least there is a video game to distract investors.

Along with earnings, Toyota announced a promotion with Nintendo (NTDOY). The company said Thursday that 500 Grand Highlander customers will get a Nintendo Switch and a Mario Kart 8 game.

“This is an amazing collaboration between Toyota and Nintendo. The Grand Highlander and the Nintendo Switch are the ultimate duo for families and road trips,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota Marketing, in a news release.

The promotion comes just ahead of the Chicago Auto Show that begins on Feb. 11.

The Grand Highlander is a 2024 model year vehicle and will hit dealerships this summer. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet.

Write to Callum Keown at callum.keown@barrons.com

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