In the first half of this year, BMW came on top in terms of the operating profit-to-sales ratio among the world's major automakers. BMW's operating profit-to-sales ratio stood at 11.1 percent, followed by Toyota with 9.6 percent, and Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors with 8.9 percent.
Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors saw their operating profit-to-sales ratio fell by 1.6 percentage points from 10.5 percent a year ago, the largest drop among the world's top-ten automakers. They posted sales of $60.3 billion in the first half of this year, up 4 percent year on year, but their operating profit fell by 11.6 percent to $5.35 billion.
In contrast, Toyota marked a sharp increase in sales volume on the back of the decline in the yen's value, plus its aggressive price cutting strategy. Toyota recorded sales of $121.9 billion in the first half of this year, dwarfing GM ($75.9 billion), thereby solidifying its No. 1 position in the global marketplace.
