GM posts stronger-than-expected profit

By Paul Lienert and Ben Klayman

DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co on Thursday posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, driven by strong demand for trucks and SUVs in the United States.

The Detroit automaker reported third-quarter net income of $4 billion, or $2.78 a share, compared with $2.35 billion, or $1.60 a share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time items, GM earned $2.83 a share, above the $1.38 a share expected by analysts, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

(Reporting by Paul Lienert and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Anil D’Silva)