General Motors reported a jump in first-quarter earnings Friday, topping analysts' estimates following strong sales in North America. The auto giant clocked another quarter of strong returns in North America from its line of trucks and crossover vehicles for which demand has remained strong amid relatively cheap gasoline prices. Net income for the quarter ending March 31 was $2.6 billion, up 33.5 percent from the year-ago period. Revenues rose 10.6 percent to $41.2 billion.

"Our strong first quarter resulted from continued top-line growth and an intense focus on driving costs lower," GM chief financial officer Chuck Stevens said. GM saw retail car deliveries fall 5.2 percent in China to 913,442 compared with the year-ago period, attributing the drop to a reduction of tax incentives on cars. GM's earnings translated into $1.70 per share, far above the $1.46 expected by analysts.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017