TOKYO — DENSO Corp. has announced global financial results for the third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2006. Consolidated net sales totaled $7.8 billion, a 14.7 percent increase from the previous year. Operating income totaled $748 million, a 3.3 percent increase from the previous year.

Income before income taxes and minority interests for the period totaled $819.4 million, a 4.4 percent increase from the previous year. Consolidated net income totaled $518 million, a 9 percent increase from the previous year.

"The sales growth was due to an increase in domestic and overseas car production for Japanese auto manufacturers," said Koji Kobayashi, managing officer of DENSO Corp. "In spite of rising raw material costs, increased production volume and cost reduction efforts led to an increase in operating income."

In Japan, sales totaled $5.6 billion, a 13 percent increase from the previous year. The company said robust domestic car production supported by growing export contributed to the increase in sales. Despite production volume increases, operating income totaled $590.2 million, a 0.4 percent decrease from the previous year, due to increases in raw material costs.

In North, Central and South America, sales expansion to Toyota, Honda and General Motors led to an increase in sales to $1.6 billion, an 8.1 percent increase from the previous year, according to DENSO. Operating income increased to $47 million, an increase of 32 percent. Increased production volume and cost reduction efforts absorbed the increase in raw material costs and resulted in an increase in operating income.

In Europe, sales expansion to Toyota, Ford and General Motors raised sales to $1.1 billion, a 25.6 percent increase from the previous year. Operating income increased to $27.7 million from $7.6 million the previous year, as a result of an increase in production volume in the Czech Republic and Hungary.

In Asia and Oceania, sales totaled $1 billion, a 17.8 percent increase from the previous year, due to increased car production in China. Although production volume increased, operating income totaled $99.1 million, a 1 percent decrease from the previous year as a result of start-up costs in China.

The company added that no changes were made to the fiscal year 2006 estimates announced on Oct. 31, 2006.

For more information about DENSO, go to: http://www.globaldenso.com.