Car-parts makers defy estimates

Lear Corp. and ArvinMeritor Inc., Metro Detroit auto-parts makers that have worked to cut labor costs and increase sales abroad, reported earnings Tuesday that beat analyst estimates, boosting company shares.

Southfield-based Lear, which makes automotive seats, said first-quarter net income rose 57 percent to $78.2 million, pushing up the stock by the most since it started trading in 1994. Sales fell 12 percent to $3.86 billion.

ArvinMeritor, a maker of brakes and shock absorbers based in Troy, had its first profit in five quarters.

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