Mazda Motor returns to profit, as sales in Asia, Australia help balance weakness at home (AS-Japan-Earns-Mazda)

Mazda Motor Corp. says it has shaken off a long spell of losses, turning a 12.2 billion yen ($153.3 million) profit in the July-September quarter, though it revised downward its forecast for the year.

The Hiroshima-based automaker's profit for the quarter compared with a 14.4 billion yen loss a year earlier. Mazda said its net profit for the first half of the fiscal year was 5.7 billion yen ($71.6 million).

The maker of the Miata sports car and CX-5 crossover sport-utility vehicle exceeded its April forecasts, selling 613,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, about on par with a year earlier.

Sales in Australia and Southeast Asia were relatively stronger, but like other Japanese automakers, Mazda's sales were hit by a volatile territorial dispute with China.