Mazda posts $733-million loss

Mazda Motor Corp. sank to a loss for the fiscal year that ended in March, sharing the fate of other Japanese automakers battered by the global slump and strong yen. Hiroshima-based Mazda, Japan's fifth-biggest automaker, reported today a $733-million loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, as sales plunged 27% to $26 billion. A year earlier, Mazda, which makes the Miata roadster and RX-8 sports car, had reported a $943-million profit.