DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor said this morning its second-quarter profit dropped slightly as higher sales were offset by the cost of developing new products and expanding sales in Asia.

The company earned $2.4 billion, or 59 cents per share, down 8 percent from a profit of $2.6 billion, or 61 cents per share, in the second quarter of 2010.

It was Ford’s ninth straight quarterly profit. Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said the company is focused on improving its balance sheet and investing in new products despite the bumpy economy.

Ford is now projecting that annual U.S. sales will be in the lower end of its 13 million to 13.5 million forecast, and it lowered its full-year sales forecast for Europe.

For the second quarter, worldwide sales rose, but the company spent more on materials like steel and copper and on product development. In Asia, where Ford recently announced an ambitious growth plan. Ford reported a pretax profit of just $1 million, down $112 million from the same quarter a year earlier, as it invests in new plants and products.