TOKYO, Nov. 5, 2009 (Kyodo News International) --
(Editors: ADDING DETAILS, 2ND LEAD TO FOLLOW)

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it booked a group operating loss of 136.86 billion yen for the April to September period but trimmed its full-year loss forecasts due to drastic cost cuts and a boost in demand from government stimulus steps worldwide.

The six-month loss compares with a year-earlier profit of 582.07 billion yen, but Toyota booked a surprise operating profit of 58 billion yen for the July to September quarter and returned to the black for the first time in four quarters.

For the whole of fiscal 2009 through next March, the automaker now anticipates a group net loss of 200 billion yen, against an earlier projected 450 billion yen.

Toyota, which has Daihatsu Motor (OOTC:DHTMY) Co. and Hino Motors Ltd. under its wing, also raised its global sales target for fiscal 2009 to 7.03 million units, up from an earlier forecast of 6.6 million units on the back of brisk demand for its Prius and other gas-electric hybrid models.

Despite its second upward revision in earnings outlook, Toyota is alone among Japan's top three automakers in projecting annual losses both on the net balance and operating level as it continues to be hit-hard by a stronger yen.

The world's largest automaker shocked the industry by announcing its pullout from Formula One on Wednesday, but the company said its cost-cutting efforts have been moving faster than expected.

In the first six months of the current business year, Toyota also incurred a group net loss of 55.99 billion yen, against a year-earlier profit of 493.47 billion yen, on sales of 8.38 trillion yen, down 31.3 percent from a year earlier.

Looking ahead, the company also trimmed its operating loss forecast to 350 billion yen, from an earlier projected 750 billion yen, on sales of 18 trillion yen, against 16.8 trillion yen forecast in August.