GM posts quarterly loss

DETROIT July 20,2005; Reuters reported that General Motors Corp. posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday even as its finance arm helped offset weak results from the company's core automotive operations.

The world's largest automaker, still reeling from a $1.1 billion loss in the first quarter, said its second-quarter loss totaled $318 million, or 56 cents per share.

Including special items, GM lost 51 cents a share.

The results compared with a profit of $1.38 billion, or $2.42 per share, in the year-earlier quarter.