Strong first quarter: Daimler increases Group EBIT to €2.1 billion
Daimler AG achieved EBIT of €2,130 million in the first quarter of 2012, which is slightly higher than the high prior-year
level (Q1 2011: €2,031 million). Net profit increased by 20% to €1,416 million (Q1 2011: €1,180 million).
“We have started the year with a strong first quarter. Despite higher investment in future growth and a challenging market
environment, we succeeded in surpassing the very good prior-year results in terms of unit sales, revenue, EBIT [earnings
before interest and taxes] and net profit,” stated Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and
Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We are on schedule to meet our targets for this year as well as our medium-term targets.”
Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved a new record for unit sales in the first quarter of 2012. Total sales by the car division rose by 9% to 338,300 units (Q1 2011: 310,700). First-quarter revenue increased by 8% to €14.9 billion.
With EBIT [earnings before interest and taxes] of €1,252 million, Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved earnings close to the level of
the prior-year period (Q1 2011: €1,288 million). The division’s return on sales was 8.4% (Q1 2011: 9.3%).
The development of earnings was primarily driven by ongoing growth in unit sales, especially in Europe and the United States.
Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved particularly high growth rates in the C-Class segment and with SUVs. Positive exchange-rate
effects also boosted earnings. One of the reasons for the reduction in earnings was the temporarily weaker pricing in China.
THE CURATED CALENDAR
Discover the world’s most prestigious gatherings & exhibitionsIn addition, there were expenses in connection with the expansion of production capacities as well as higher advance
expenditures for new vehicles and technologies.
Unit sales by Mercedes-Benz Vans decreased in the first quarter of this year to 51,200 vehicles, primarily due to the market
weakness in Western Europe (Q1 2011: 54,000). Revenue of €2.1 billion was above the prior-year level (Q1 2011: €2.0 billion).
Daimler expects its total unit sales in the year 2012 to be higher than the figure of 2.1 million vehicles sold in the year 2011.
Mercedes-Benz Cars assumes that it will further increase its unit sales this year and will grow faster than the market as a
whole. The division expects its unit sales in each of the remaining quarters of 2012 to be higher than in the respective
prior-year period. Mercedes-Benz Cars will profit from the continuation of strong demand for its cars in the C-Class segment.
At the end of March, it launched a new model of the SL, the icon in the sports-car sector. The division anticipates further
growth for its SUVs, primarily due to the full availability of the new M-Class and as of September 2012 also of the new GL.
In addition, the new generations of the GLK compact SUV and of the G-Class will be launched in June 2012. The new models in
the high-volume compact-car segment will also contribute towards growth in unit sales; the new B-Class was launched in
November 2011 with the new A-Class to follow this September. And a completely new automobile concept will come onto the
market in September: the CLS Shooting Brake.
