The Japanese carmaker currently forecasts operating profit rising to 135 billion yen (0.77 billion pounds) in the year to end-March from 123.4 billion yen the previous financial year. Sales volumes are expected to rise to 1.182 million units from 1.047 million the previous year. The company said it was too early to say whether weaker-than-expected sales volumes in Japan, Russia and Thailand can be compensated by the better-than-expected sales volumes in North America, Middle East and Europe.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak, editing by Danilo Masoni)