Toyota returns to profit

TOKYO (AP) - Toyota says it has returned to a profit in the latest quarter after government incentives boosted sales for the world's top automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. reported Thursday net income of 21.8 billion yen, or about $242 million, for the July-September period.

That marked an 84 percent plunge from the 139.8 billion profit racked up during the same period a year ago. But the latest results underline a gradual recovery for Toyota.

Thursday's results were the latest in a series of recoveries seen at Japanese automakers, including Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., which have both reported healthier earnings after a battering from the global economic crisis.