Rossi among top five most paid athletes
Who says motorcycle racing isn't a paying career? The recent figures from Sports Illustrated reveal that MotoGP star, Valentino Rossi is the fifth most paid athlete in the world. His earnings stand at a staggering US$ 3,50,00,000 or 170 crore rupees per annum!
This amount includes salary, bonuses, endorsement incomes and appearance fees. Rossi was placed seventh last year but improved his standing this time and shares the fifth position with F1 champ Fernando Alonso. Just to make our readers understand how much he earns, the Italian MotoGP rider's yearly earnings can fetch him more than 2000 brand new 2009 Yamaha R1s.
[Via: BIKE]
Hero Honda posted its highest net profit in five quarters
Racing ahead of main rival Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda continues to record an amazing performance this year, despite the overall recession in the Indian automotive market.
In fact, Hero Honda posted its highest net profit in five quarters, with a 50% increase in profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 306.3 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2008. The company clocked Rs 204.3 crore in the same period last year, and Rs 298.7 crore in the fourth quarter of FY 2007.
Due to better cost control, more efficient work practices and higher sales, Hero Honda's operating profit margins also improved to 15.26% during the quarter, against 14.06% in the same period last year, and 12% in the first quarter.
Hero Honda's motorcycle and scooter sales went up by 29% during the quarter to 972,000 units, against last year's 756,000 units. The company sold 537,000 vehicles during the Diwali month in 2007, and aims to cross that mark this year with 600,000 units.
'We have posted the best-ever sales in the fiscal and are aiming to net the highest-ever sales in October. Our margins grew as a result of good sales volume and strong fiscal discipline. Cost-control and greater penetration in the market also helped bring in better profits. We have built a huge stock to attain the highest volume growth in the festive season. To meet the liquidity crunch in the market, we have entered into tie-ups with regional, rural and co-operative banks to meet customers' credit needs,' said Pawan Munjal, MD, Hero Honda.
Hero Honda, which currently has a 55% market share in the two-wheeler segment in India, recently launched four new variants of its existing bikes, and is expected to launch more variants and perhaps two or three all-new bikes by end-2009.
According to analysts and industry experts, Hero Honda's fundamentals are strong and it has posted impressive volume growth, outperforming the entire two-wheeler industry. The company improved its realization on the back of shifting bulk production to the tax-free zone in Haridwar, and its bottom line has grown with effective cost control management.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
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