Fiat Chrysler US 2Q earnings fall 3 pct. on recall penalties, debt repayment

Net income at Fiat Chrysler's U.S. operations fell 3 percent last quarter due largely to a $90 million charge to pay government penalties for mishandling recalls.

The company says it made $598 million from April to June, compared with $619 million a year ago. The decline also included a $71 million loss from paying off some secured notes.

The drop came even though worldwide sales rose 5 percent to 762,000 for the quarter, including a 6 percent increase in U.S. retail sales to individual buyers.

The Italian-American parent company last week raised its outlook due to strong North American sales and a European recovery.

It reported a net profit for the quarter of $364 million.