Sales should now be well above the previous year’s level instead of just slightly, EBIT should increase slightly instead of stagnating.
(Photo: dpa)
Frankfurt Mercedes-Benz increased profits in the second quarter despite falling sales of its car division. From April to June, the operating result rose by six percent compared to the same period last year to 4.6 billion euros, as the carmaker announced on Wednesday.
This is in line with the expectations of the analysts polled by Refinitiv. Sales climbed by seven percent to 36.4 billion euros, although the brand with the star sold seven percent less in the past quarter due to the shortage of semiconductors with 487,100 vehicles. The return on sales for passenger cars improved by around one and a half percentage points to 14.2 percent.
Despite all the challenges in the economy, there are good reasons worldwide to look ahead with confidence, said CEO Ola Källenius. “First of all, the continued strong demand from our customers worldwide and other important new products.” Mercedes-Benz raised the forecast for the year: sales should now be well above the previous year’s level instead of just slightly, EBIT should rise slightly instead of stagnating.