Daimler hit by drop in Mercedes profits
Despite increase in sales, tariffs and trade wars diminish German carmaker's earnings
Stuttgart — Daimler cut its dividend as fourth-quarter operating profit fell 22% as trade wars and rising costs for developing electric and self-driving cars hit profits at Mercedes-Benz Cars, the company said on Wednesday. Daimler said the return on sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars fell to 7.3% in the fourth quarter from 9.5% in the year-earlier period. This, combined with a cut in the dividend from €3.65 a share to €3.25, disappointed analysts and sent shares 2% lower to €52.02, underperforming Germany’s blue-chip DAX index which was trading 0.22% lower. “Daimler urgently needs efficiency measures,” Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said on Wednesday. “At the moment the profitability of both Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and trucks lags behind peers.” Daimler said it was working on “countermeasures” to increase profits but could not mention details about possible cost cuts because these were still being worked out. For 2019 Mercedes-Benz Cars expects to achieve a return on sales of...
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