日元跌至历史低位，或将为日本车企带来58亿美元收益

Odaily Odaily News: Although Japan is trying to curb the yen's fall to a 40-year low, the weak currency could bring a windfall to the country's automakers this year. According to company forecasts, assuming the yen stays near its current level, the overall earnings upside for Japanese automakers is around 934 billion yen (approximately $5.8 billion).

Toyota Motor Corp., in its earnings guidance released in early May, assumed an exchange rate of 150 yen to the dollar, while the current level is around 161 yen. Toyota estimates that every 1-yen depreciation in the yen increases its operating profit by 50 billion yen, meaning the company will benefit significantly from the yen's continued weakness. Other automakers have also adopted relatively conservative exchange rate assumptions, with Honda assuming 145 yen to the dollar, Nissan 150 yen, and Subaru and Mazda 155 yen. Meanwhile, declines in raw material and energy costs could exceed expectations. Following a peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran, crude oil prices, calculated in yen, have fallen more than 30% from their peak in late April.

Senior analyst Tatsuo Yoshida said that for automakers like Toyota and Honda, which have already factored in the Middle East situation into their full-year forecasts, recent developments could be a "significant positive factor," and lower gasoline prices could also improve consumer confidence and support car sales. (Jin Shi)