Goodyear’s 2Q Profit Rises on International Sales

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s second-quarter profit rose to $75 million, or 31 cents a share, from $56 million, or 26 cents, in 2007 as stronger international sales offset a slip in the North American market, the company said Thursday.

Sales in the quarter improved to a record $5.2 billion, up 6.5% from a year ago, Goodyear said in its latest quarterly earnings statement.

Second-quarter earnings rose as a result of improved pricing, a “richer product mix” and currency exchange gains driven by a weak U.S. dollar, which helped offset lower tire volumes in North America and Europe.

North American sales fell to $2.1 billion from $2.3 billion in the 2007 quarter, but overall results were buoyed by higher revenue in the company’s Europe/Middle East/Africa region, as well as improvements in the Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions, Goodyear said.

Second-quarter net income includes $27 million from discontinued operations, Goodyear said.