Tokyo - Operating profits of Japan's second-largest carmaker Honda Motor Co are likely to drop sharply owing to the yen's strengthening against the dollar, a newspaper report said Saturday.

The Nikkei business newspaper reported that Honda's operating profits are expected to drop by about 40 per cent to between 550 and 580 billion yen (5.8 to 6.15 billion dollars).

At the beginning of the business year, which runs until March 31, 2009, Honda had projected operative profits of 650 billion yen, but revised it downwards in April to 630 billion yen.

Stockholm - Swedish heavy-vehicle maker Volvo on Friday reported a 37-per-cent drop in pre-tax income for the third quarter of 2008, citing the economic downturn in key markets.

Pre-tax income was 2.89 billion kronor (370 million dollars), compared to 4.57 billion kronor in the corresponding period 2007 for the Volvo group, excluding the Ford-owned car division.

Net sales were up 2 per cent to 69.6 billion kronor, while net income fell 36 per cent to 2 billion kronor.

New York - The country's third largest auto maker Chrysler Thursday reported losses of more than 1 billion dollars in the year's first half, with second-quarter losses of 565 million dollars.

Chrysler is in the midst of merger talks with General Motors after Germany's Daimler firm sold 80 per cent majority share to Cerberus investment company earlier this year.

Washington - The beleaguered General Motors Thursday said it is cutting more management jobs and stopping some employee benefits, including contributions to so-called 401K private employee savings plans, according to the Detroit News.

"The global credit crisis has had a dramatic impact upon the industry at large and new vehicle markets in North America and Western Europe have contracted severely," GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson were quoted as saying in a letter sent to executives.