GM Reports 53% Profit Increase

General Motors Corp. said today that its net profit rose 53% in the second quarter from a year ago, but the increase would have been 28% if an accounting change had been made retroactive.

The company attributed the strong gain to record-breaking overseas results and improved performance in North America. The world’s largest auto maker said it had an after-tax profit of $1.5 billion, or $4.52 a common share, in the April-June period, compared with earnings of $980.3 million, or $2.80 a common share, in the same quarter a year earlier.