Η Daimler δίνει μπόνους €4.100 σε κάθε υπάλληλο της – Θετικά ξεκίνησαν την χρονιά οι premium εταιρίες, σε καθήζηση η αγοράς της Κίνας

H Daimler ανακοίνωσε τα οικονομικά της αποτελέσματα για το 2011 όπου παρουσίασε καθαρά κέρδη 6 δις ευρώ, κάνοντας ρεκόρ, αφού το 2010 είχε κέρδη 4.7 δις. ευρώ. Τα έσοδα του ομίλου έκαναν και αυτά ρεκόρ αφού ανήλθαν σε 106.5 δις ευρώ (97.8 δις ευρώ το 2010) ενώ ανακοίνωσε ότι τον Ιανουάριο πούλησε 94.526 αυτοκίνητα+5.6% σε σχέση με πέρυσι και για τις τρεις αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίες της (Mercedes, Smart, Daimler) ενώ μόνο η Mercedes πούλησε 86.921 αυτοκίνητα +5.1%. Ως αντάλλαγμα για τα κέρδη αυτά, η Daimler ανακοίνωσε ότι θα δώσει μπόνους 4.100 ευρώ σε κάθε υπάλληλο της με τον μισθό του Απριλίου.

Η BMW είδε τις πωλήσεις να αυξάνονται τον Ιανουάριο του 2012 κατά 6.6% σε σχέση με πέρυσι, αφού πούλησε 96.183 αυτοκίνητα, κάνοντας και νέο ρεκόρ. Σημαντική αύξηση των πωλήσεων είχε η X3 (+56.2%) καθώς και η νέα Σειρά 1 κατά 20%. Η BMW πιστεύει ότι οι πωλήσεις της θα αυξηθούν ακόμη περισσότερο μέσα στον Φεβρουάριο, αφού από τα μέσα του, θα είναι διαθέσιμη η νέα Σειρά 3. Η Audi πούλησε 96.100 αυτοκίνητα τον Ιανουάριο, +0.8% σε σχέση με πέρυσι.

H Κίνα από την άλλη είδε τις πωλήσεις νέων αυτοκινήτων κατά τον μήνα Ιανουάριο να μειώνονται κατά 24% σε σχέση με τον Ιανουάριο του 2011. Το Bloomberg αναφέρει είναι η μεγαλύτερη πτώση των τελευταίων 7 ετών αλλά αυτό δεν ανησυχεί τις αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίες αφού μέσα στον Ιανουάριο τα καταστήματα ήταν κλειστά για πολλές ημέρες λόγω του νέου έτους. Αναλυτικότερες λεπτομέρειες μπορείς να βρεις στα δελτία τύπου που ακολουθεί.

[Πηγή: Audi, BMW, Dailmler, GM, Bloomberg]

[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]

Audi: strong growth in the United States and China

• Around 96,100 cars delivered worldwide in January, up 0.8 percent
• Sales chief Schwarzenbauer: “Expect further growth in the coming months”
• Highest order backlog for Germany in company history

In January, AUDI AG once again achieved the record sales level of the same month last year – despite significantly more difficult underlying conditions in certain markets. Worldwide, the company sold around 96,100 cars during the past month. The success of the new A6 and continued high growth in the United States (up 19.7 percent) contributed notably to the 0.8 percent increase. Deliveries in China also once again increased at a clear double-digit rate of 22.6 percent. In Europe, on the other hand, the change in the Audi A4 model, the highest volume model line for the Ingolstadt-based company, made itself clearly felt: sales fell here by 13.0 percent to about 45,900 units. The new generation of the A4 is now being introduced to the markets.

“Even though the headwinds in some European markets have strengthened noticeably of late, the signs continue to point to growth for Audi: With the biggest order backlog of all time in Germany and newly launched models like the revised A4 family and the A1 Sportback, we will see further worldwide increases in the first quarter,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG.

Audi experienced particularly strong growth in the United States in January: Audi of America was able to keep the brand’s record-breaking run going from the previous year with around 9,354 deliveries, and achieved the most successful start to the year in the U.S. in company history with an increase of 19.7 percent. Once again, sales of the new A6 sedan in particular experienced strong growth: with 1,130 cars, it exceeded the results of its predecessor in January of last year by 98.6 percent. Audi delivered another 643 units of the A7 Sportback, which is winning a large number of new customers for the brand in the U.S. as well. Two-thirds of all A7 customers in the United States were first-time buyers of an Audi model. January sales for Audi also rose sharply in Canada (+31.7 percent) and South America (+14.4 percent).

In most European markets, the best-selling Audi A4 model range spent its final days in dealerships in January, before arrival of the new version of the midsize model range in dealer showrooms in the first week of February. The orders received for the new generation of the A4 in Germany indicate that it will build upon the success of its predecessor – those orders make up a significant share of the high order backlog in the company’s home market. In terms of deliveries, the German market finished the first month of the year with 13,067 units delivered, 2.3 percent below the same figure for January 2011. Here as well, the new A6 experienced strong growth, with a 77.6 percent increase for the especially popular Avant alone. Demand for the entire A6 model line rose worldwide in the past month by 26.0 percent to around 19,900 cars.

As in almost all European export markets, January sales for Audi UK are set against extraordinarily successful figures from the previous year; at that time, the introduction of the Audi A1 in fall 2010 had a massive impact on the delivery results. In the first month of 2012, 8,565 British customers took delivery of a new Audi, down 13.1 percent. In France, Audi delivered 4,009 cars (-16.6 percent) in January, thus confirming the leading position of the four rings in the premium segment. Here, a tax increase at the start of the year also impacted market development over the past few weeks as purchases were made in advance of the change. The underlying conditions remain difficult however, especially in Spain and Italy, where the respective January sales figures for Audi were 38.1 and 27.6 percent below those of the reference month. In contrast, Audi was able to exceed January 2011 sales in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia, with an increase of 19.5 percent to around 1,440 deliveries.

In the Asia-Pacific region, sales figures climbed a full 21.8 percent. Audi achieved especially high double-digit growth in India (+39.0 percent), Japan (39.7 percent) and in the most important market in the region, China. Audi delivered 27,206 cars to Chinese customers in January (incl. Hong Kong), an increase of 22.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The new Audi A8 L contributed to the strong start for the year in the Middle Kingdom with 1,442 deliveries, as did the continued success of the long wheelbase Audi A6 L. The company’s best-selling model in this market is still based on the previous generation; in just a few weeks Audi will introduce the long wheelbase version of the new A6 sedan in China.

Schwarzenbauer also sees strong drivers for worldwide growth for the four rings during the rest of the year: “The launch of the new A3 will give us an extra boost in the second half of 2012, especially in Europe. At the same time, we will continue to ramp up production of the highly sought Audi Q3. Overall, in 2012 we want to outperform the worldwide car market, which we expect to grow by about four percent.”

Note: AUDI AG will announce the financial results for the 2011 fiscal year at its Annual Press Conference on March 1, 2012.

BMW Group makes successful start to new year

Total of 112,163 automobiles sold in first month

Best January ever for the BMW brand

Positive sales trend expected to continue in coming months

Strong growth in Asia and North America

Munich. The BMW Group increased its sales significantly in January. A total of 112,163 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles were delivered to customers (prev. yr. 105,193) – an increase of 6.6%.

“We made a successful start to the new year, selling more BMW brand vehicles than ever before in the month of January. The BMW Group reported strong sales gains in the Asian and North American markets, among others,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing. The new BMW 3 Series Sedan, scheduled for worldwide release in mid-February, will create positive impetus for growth going forward. “We expect the positive trend in sales to continue over the coming months. In fact, we anticipate even more dynamic growth in the second half of the year in light of the launch of additional new models,” added Robertson.

BMW with new January high

The BMW brand reported the strongest January in its history. Sales climbed 5.9% to 96,183 (prev. yr. 90,858) vehicles. With a total of 13,070 (prev. yr. 10,976/+19.1%) deliveries, the new BMW 1 Series registered substantial growth. In spite of the coming model change, sales of the BMW 3 Series remained at a high level with 22,710 (prev. yr. 23,475/-3.3%) units.

The BMW X1 volumes rose 5.6% to 7,445 units (prev. yr. 7,050). The BMW X3 also started the new year well with 9,348 vehicles sold (prev. yr. 5,984/+56.2%). The same applies to the BMW X5, which reported an 8.3% increase in sales to 8,872 (prev. yr. 8,194) units. Deliveries of the BMW X6 also rose 5.0% to 3,372 (prev. yr. 3,211) vehicles. Solid demand for the new BMW 6 Series drove sales to 1,106 (prev. yr. 168) units. The flagship BMW 7 Series also continued to perform well, with sales climbing 37.1% to 5,844 (prev. yr. 4,263) vehicles.

MINI makes a strong start to the year

The MINI brand also remained on its successful course worldwide. A total of 15,768 (prev. yr. 14,125) vehicles were delivered to customers – an increase of 11.6%. The MINI Countryman was among the models to post significant growth, with sales rising 59.0% to 5,575 (prev. yr. 3,506) units.

Strong gains in Asia and North America

The BMW Group made strong gains in a number of markets, including North America and virtually all of the Asian markets, in January. In Asia, deliveries climbed 25.6% to 36,422 (prev. yr. 29,006) vehicles. The dynamic growth also continued in China, the BMW Group’s third-largest market last year: A total of 26,505 (prev. yr. 20,308) vehicles were sold there last month – an increase of 30.5%. Other Asian markets, such as Japan (2,731/+22.9%) and South Korea (2,100/+12.9%), also reported significant rates of growth.

A total of 22,443 (prev. yr. 20,751) vehicles were delivered to customers on the American continent in January. This represents an increase of 8.2%. In the US, the company’s largest single market, sales increased by 5.8% to 19,739 units (prev. yr. 18,656) in the month under review.

The BMW Group also reported strong growth in a number of European markets: Customer deliveries climbed by 12.4% in Italy to 5,445 (prev. yr. 4,845) vehicles; by 10.6% in France to 3,342 (prev. yr. 3,022) vehicles; by 34.7% in Switzerland to 1,316 (prev. yr. 977) vehicles; by 31.8% in the Netherlands to 1,550 (prev. yr. 1,176) vehicles; and by 19.0% in Austria to 1,184 (prev. yr. 995) vehicles.

BMW Motorrad sales 11.1% higher

BMW Motorrad also achieved a substantial increase in sales in January. Deliveries climbed 11.1% to reach a total of 5,237 (prev. yr. 4,714) motorcycles. Husqvarna delivered 544 (prev. yr. 362/+50.3%) motorcycles to customers.

BMW Group sales in January 2012 at a glance

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2011, the BMW Group sold about1.67 million cars and more than 113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years.

Daimler excels in anniversary year 2011: Group EBIT from ongoing business up by 24% to record level of €9 billion

• Net profit reaches best-ever level of €6.0 billion
  (2010: €4.7 billion)
• Group revenue also sets record of €106.5 billion
  (2010: €97.8 billion)
• Mercedes-Benz Cars achieves new peaks for unit sales, revenue and EBIT
• Daimler Trucks significantly improves its unit sales, revenue and earnings
• Higher dividend proposed of €2.20 per share
  (prior year: €1.85)
• Outlook 2012: target of Group EBIT from ongoing business in the magnitude of the prior year

Stuttgart – Daimler AG (stock-exchange symbol DAI) today presented its preliminary and unaudited earnings figures for the Group and the divisions in the year 2011.

Daimler increased its Group EBIT from the ongoing business by 24% to €8,977 million in 2011 (2010: €7,212 million). Including special factors, Group EBIT rose by 20% to €8,755 million (2010: €7,274 million). Both EBIT figures are new records.

Net profit also reached a record figure of €6,029 million
(2010: €4,674 million) and earnings per share amounted to €5.32 (2010: €4.28).

Overall, Daimler was able to set several records simultaneously in the anniversary year, “125! years inventor of the automobile.”
“The Group achieved its best-ever results in 2011 for unit sales, revenue, EBIT and net profit. All of our divisions contributed to this success,” stated Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Above all, Mercedes-Benz Cars also set new records for sales, revenue and EBIT. In its long corporate history, the car division has never performed better than in 2011.

“In total, we made the anniversary year also into a year of success for Daimler. This performance shows that with its strong portfolio of cars, trucks, vans, buses and financial services, the Group is strategically very well positioned. We are now putting all of our efforts into continuing this success and achieving our targeted rates of return on a sustained basis as of the year 2013,” emphasized Zetsche.

Financial year 2011

The excellent earnings for the year 2011 primarily reflect the very good situation of unit sales in the divisions. In 2011, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Vans significantly increased their unit sales compared with the prior year in the major regions. Daimler Financial Services profited in particular from the lower cost of risk.

Special factors connected with the natural disaster in Japan resulted in total charges for the Group of €80 million. Insurance compensation has been taken into consideration in calculating this figure. Charges were also recognized from the impairment of Daimler’s equity interests in Renault (€110 million) and Kamaz
(€32 million).

The special items affecting earnings in the years 2011 and 2010 are listed in the table on page 13 and in the individual divisions.

Daimler sold a total of 2.1 million vehicles in 2011, surpassing the prior-year figure by 11%. All of the automotive divisions contributed to the increase. Group revenue increased by 9% to €106.5 billion; adjusted for exchange-rate effects, there was an increase of 10%.

The net liquidity of the industrial business amounted to
€12.0 billion at December 31, 2011 (2010: €11.9 billion).

The generally positive business development led to an increase in the number of persons employed worldwide to 271,370 as of December 31. This was 11,270 more than at the end of 2010. In Germany, the number of employees increased to 167,684
(2010: 164,026).

Due to Daimler’s success in 2011, the Board of Management and the General Works Council have agreed that the workforce’s performance will again be rewarded with a high performance participation bonus: In Germany, each eligible employee of Daimler AG will receive an amount of €4,100 (2011: €3,150) at the end of April 2012.

The shareholders will also participate appropriately once again in the Group’s financial success. In setting the dividend, Daimler aims to distribute approximately 40% of the net profit attributable to Daimler shareholders. In view of the good business development, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will therefore propose to the shareholders for their approval at the Annual Meeting to be held on April 4, 2012 that a dividend of €2.20 per share be paid out (2010: €1.85). This represents a total dividend of €2,346 million (2010: €1,971 million).

“In this way, we want our shareholders to participate appropriately once again in our financial success, and we anticipate a continuation of this dividend development in the coming years,” stated Bodo Uebber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Finance & Controlling and Financial Services.

Investments for the future

On the basis of the “Road to Emission-free Mobility” initiative, one focus will be on new, extremely fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly drive technologies in all the Group’s automotive divisions. The objectives are to optimize conventional drive technologies, to enhance their efficiency through hybridization, and to develop electric vehicles with fuel-cell drive and battery power. Another focus is on new safety technologies with the goal of avoiding accidents as far as possible and of alleviating the consequences of any accidents that might still occur.

In this context, Daimler therefore increased its research and development expenditure to €5.6 billion in 2011 (2010: €4.8 billion). R&D spending amounted to €3.7 billion at Mercedes-Benz Cars (2010: €3.1 billion) and €1.3 billion at Daimler Trucks
(2010: €1.3 billion).

Investment in property, plant and equipment amounted to
€4.2 billion (2010: €3.7 billion), of which €2.7 billion was invested in Germany (2010: €2.1 billion). The focus was on substantial capital expenditure on local production facilities, new products and new technologies. One of the main areas at Mercedes-Benz Cars was the expansion of production capacities for the successor to the A-/B-Class at the Rastatt plant in Germany and at the new plant in Kecskemét, Hungary. Daimler Trucks made substantial investments in 2011 in the launch of the new Actros heavy truck.

The divisions in detail

Mercedes-Benz Cars, comprising the brands Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart, set a new record in 2011 with sales of 1,381,400 vehicles (2010: 1,276,800). The division’s revenue rose by 7% to a record of €57.4 billion (2010: €53.4 billion).

The division posted EBIT of €5,192 million, a significant improvement compared with the prior-year result (2010: €4,656 million). Its return on sales was 9.0% (2010: 8.7%).

The increase in earnings resulted primarily from the worldwide growth in unit sales, especially in the mid-sized and SUV segments. Above all in China and the United States, the division was able to boost its unit sales due to its attractive product range. Improved pricing for new vehicles and lower warranty expenses also made positive contributions to earnings. There were negative effects on earnings from increases in prices of materials and higher expenses related to the launch of new models, increased research and development costs and negative exchange-rate effects.

Daimler Trucks increased its worldwide unit sales by 20% to 425,800 vehicles and revenue also rose by 20% to €28.8 billion (2010: €24.0 billion).

The division’s EBIT of €1,876 million was also significantly higher than in the prior year (2010: €1,332 million). Return on sales amounted to 6.5% (2010: 5.5%). The positive earnings development is mainly based on strong growth in unit sales with contributions from all the major regions (the NAFTA region, Europe, Asia and
Latin America). The successfully implemented optimization and repositioning of the business operations of the subsidiaries Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Daimler Trucks North America had sustained positive effects also in 2011, contributing to significant efficiency improvements and thus also to higher earnings. Negative effects on earnings resulted from higher material costs and the advance expenditure for the new Actros.
In connection with the natural disaster in Japan, charges of €70 million were recognized. Without these charges and the impairment of the investment in Kamaz, Daimler Trucks would have achieved a return on sales of 6.9%.

Mercedes-Benz Vans increased its unit sales by 18% to 264,200 vans of the Sprinter, Vario, Vito and Viano model series. Revenue of €9.2 billion was also significantly higher than in the prior year
(2010: €7.8 billion).

The division posted a significant improvement in earnings. EBIT increased to €835 million (2010: €451 million) and return on sales improved from 5.8% in 2010 to 9.1% last year. The positive development of earnings resulted from significantly higher unit sales, above all in Germany, the NAFTA region and Eastern Europe. One of the main factors was the excellent market response to the new-generation Vito and Viano models. Higher material costs were more than offset by sustained efficiency improvements and better pricing.

Daimler Buses once again increased its sales of buses and bus chassis, despite difficult conditions for complete buses, to a total of 39,700 units (2010: 39,100). Revenue of €4.4 billion was slightly lower than in the prior year (2010: €4.6 billion).

With EBIT of €162 million, the division did not match the high level of earnings it achieved in the prior year (2010: €215 million). Its return on sales was 3.7% (2010: 4.7%). This earnings development is due to lower unit sales of complete buses in Western Europe and North America, especially in the city-bus segment, in which demand decreased. Higher prices due to the influence of inflation in Latin America also had a negative impact on EBIT. The division’s earnings were positively affected by higher shipments of bus chassis in Latin America (including Mexico) and by exchange-rate effects.

Daimler Financial Services developed very positively in all regions. Worldwide contract volume grew by 13% to the record level of
€71.7 billion (2010: €63.7 billion). Adjusted for exchange-rate effects, contract volume grew by 12%. New business increased by 15% to €33.5 billion due to the higher volumes of unit sales by the automotive divisions.

The division significantly surpassed its earnings of the prior year with EBIT of €1,312 million in 2011 (2010: €831 million). Its return on equity was 25.5% (2010: 16.1%). The improvement in earnings was mainly caused by lower provisions for risks, improved refinancing conditions and an increased contract volume. On the other hand, earnings were negatively affected by expenditure related to the realignment of business activities in Germany. Another factor was that additional allowances for bad debts had to be recognized in connection with the natural disaster in Japan.

The reconciliation of the divisions’ EBIT to Group EBIT comprises Daimler’s proportionate share of the results of its equity-method investment in EADS, other gains and/or losses at the corporate level, and the effects on earnings of eliminating intra-group transactions between the divisions.

Daimler’s proportionate share of the net profit of EADS amounted to income of €143 million (2010: expense of €261 million). In addition, an expense at corporate level of €588 million has been taken into consideration (2010: income of €21 million). In 2011, this was primarily related to litigation and the impairment of Daimler’s equity holding in Renault (€110 million). Due to the sharp drop in the stock-exchange price of Renault shares at the end of the third quarter, the shareholding had to be impaired to its fair value.

Outlook

According to current estimates, worldwide markets for motor vehicles should continue to grow this year, with the exception of the Western European markets, which are increasingly affected by the debt crisis. Global registrations of new cars are likely to increase by approximately 4%, whereby the growth will primarily be driven by the Asian emerging markets, the US market and the Japanese market, which will benefit from catch-up effects.

Worldwide demand for medium and heavy trucks in 2012 is expected to be at least at the level of last year. Despite a perceptible growth slowdown, the North American market should prove to be the world’s most important driver of demand, expanding by 15 to 20%. Demand for trucks in Europe will be impacted by the ongoing sovereign-debt crisis and the resulting economic weakness. So at best, demand in that market can only be expected to be about as strong as last year. The Japanese market for heavy and medium-duty trucks should expand once again by 5 to 10% compared with the prior year, thanks to the country’s economic growth, which is benefiting from the reconstruction efforts. Overall demand for trucks in the emerging markets should grow only moderately this year.

Mercedes-Benz Cars assumes that it will be able to further increase its unit sales this year and will grow faster than the total market. Its competitive model range will facilitate growth in traditional markets also under less favorable conditions. The division will also profit from the continuation of very strong demand for its models in the C-Class segment. In the luxury segment, the new generation of the SL will boost unit sales as of late March. With sport-utility vehicles, further growth is anticipated primarily due to the full availability of the new M-Class and as of September 2012 from the new GL. Furthermore, both the new GLK (a compact SUV) and the new-generation G-Class will be launched in June. The new models in the high-volume compact-car segment will also boost growth in unit sales. The new B-Class was already launched in November 2011 and the new A-Class will follow in September 2012.

On the engine side, the new and particularly efficient four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines and the ECO start-stop technology will be introduced in additional models. This will boost unit sales above all with commercial customers. With the help of the new engines and the particularly economical BlueEFFICIENCY models, Daimler was able to reduce the average CO2 emissions of the cars sold in the European Union to 150 grams per kilometer in 2011 (2010:
158 g/km).

Within the framework of the “Mercedes-Benz 2020” growth strategy, the product range will be significantly expanded across all segments in the coming years. In the compact-car segment alone, there will be five models with the three-pointed star in the future, which will increasingly appeal to younger customers as well. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz Cars will expand the top end of its model range –
for example with three additional versions of the next S-Class and another SUV version, as well as with models such as the CLS Shooting Break, which will be launched in September 2012 as a completely new vehicle concept. Positive impetus is expected for smart this year from two highlights: The new smart fortwo electric drive will gradually be launched in more than 30 markets around the world, and the smart ebike will also be introduced.

In regional terms, Mercedes-Benz Cars sees further growth opportunities in 2012 above all in North America, as well as in China, India and Russia. Prospects in Western Europe are rather limited, however. But the division assumes that it will be able to further strengthen its position also in this extremely competitive market, due in particular to the expansion of the model portfolio. Fairly stable unit sales are anticipated for the smart brand.

Daimler Trucks also assumes that its unit sales will increase this year. Following the significant growth in 2011, the division intends to continue to grow faster than the total market in Europe. For the Brazilian market, demand is expected to fall at first following the record year 2011, due to the introduction of stricter emission standards.

The recovery of the truck market in the NAFTA region will probably continue. Because of the high average age of vehicle fleets there, the need to invest in replacements is still very high. On the basis of well-filled order books, the division assumes that it will be able to profit from that development to an above-average extent. Rising unit sales are anticipated also in Japan. Reconstruction after the natural disaster is leading to a stronger demand for trucks in that market.

With its activities in Russia, India and China, the division has created the right conditions for further growth in those markets. The final approval of the authorities for the joint venture in China was granted last year, the joint venture in Russia with Kamaz presented the first truck with components from Daimler, and the first plant in India will be opened in April 2012.

In general, the division assumes that it will be able to further improve its worldwide market position in the coming years. Daimler Trucks will be supported by a large number of new models and the flexibility of its global production network.

At Mercedes-Benz Vans, the positive trend of unit sales should continue, aided on the product side by the new city van Citan, which will enable the division to utilize additional growth potential in a new market segment as of this year. Van production in Argentina was changed over to the current generation of the Sprinter at the beginning of the year 2012. As a result, the range of products in Latin American markets is being significantly upgraded. Unit sales in China should be substantially increased by means of local production. As part of this development, in addition to the Vito and Viano models, the joint venture Fujian Daimler Automotive has also been producing the Sprinter since the end of 2011.

Daimler Buses assumes that it will be able to maintain its globally leading position in its core markets for buses above 8 tons with innovative and high-quality new products. However, a slight decrease in unit sales is anticipated in 2012 because of the introduction of Euro V emission regulations in Brazil. Slight growth in unit sales is expected in Western Europe, the stable core market, due to the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz Citaro, a product of outstanding quality.

Daimler Financial Services anticipates further growth for both contract volume and new business in its core business of vehicle financing and leasing. This should be supported in particular by growth in the BRIC markets and by the provision of financial services for the new cars in the compact-car segment. In the area of insurance, the division aims to achieve further growth in the number of policies brokered and in its market share. Strong growth is also expected in the new Mobility Services business unit, into which the car2go mobility concept was integrated in the year 2011.

On the basis of assumptions on the development of major sales markets and the planning of the divisions, the Daimler Group expects that its unit sales will increase again significantly this year, and that its revenue will also continue to grow. Daimler aims to post EBIT from the ongoing business in the magnitude of the prior year. This is based on the assumption of currency exchange rates at close to the present levels.

The following EBIT targets have been set for the divisions:

• Mercedes-Benz Cars: at the prior-year level
• Daimler Trucks: at least at the prior-year level
• Mercedes-Benz Vans: at least at the prior-year level
• Daimler Buses: at least at the prior-year level
• Daimler Financial Services: slightly below the prior-year level

Daimler aims for an annual average return on sales for the automotive business of 9% across market and product cycles. This is based on target returns on sales for the individual divisions, which are to be achieved on a sustained basis as of 2013, of 10% for Mercedes-Benz Cars, 8% for Daimler Trucks, 9% for Mercedes-Benz Vans and 6% for Daimler Buses. The target for Daimler Financial Services is a return on equity of 17%.

In the period of 2012 through 2013, Daimler will invest a total of €21.5 billion in research and development activities (€10.9 billion) and property, plant and equipment (€10.6 billion). That is
€3.2 billion more than in the years 2010 and 2011.

In order to achieve its ambitious growth targets, Daimler will require additional employees in all its divisions. In connection with expanding the production capacities, new jobs will be created above all in North America, Asia and Hungary. By developing production capacities abroad, the jobs in Germany are being secured for the long term.

Table: Earnings in both years were affected by special factors, which are listed in the following table:

Adjustment of health-care and pension benefit plans

Repositioning of Daimler Trucks North America

Repositioning of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation

-32

-70

–

–

–

–

–

160

-37

-3

Daimler Financial ServicesNatural disaster in JapanRepositioning of business activities in GermanySale of non-automotive assets

-10

–

–

–

-82

-9

Reconciliation Impairment of investment in RenaultGain on the sale of shares in Tata MotorsIncome connected with the settlement of a legal disputeAnniversary bonus and allocation to Foundation

-110

–

–

–

–

265

218

-213

The figures in this document are preliminary and have not yet been approved by the Supervisory Board nor audited by the external auditors.

Daimler to pay its highest ever performance participation bonus of €4,100 per employee

• To be paid to entitled wage-tariff employees of Daimler AG together with the April salaries

• Wilfried Porth, Board of Management Member for Human Resources and Labor Relations Director: “Daimler looks back on an excellent year. Our employees made the decisive contribution to that with their outstanding performance.”

• Erich Klemm, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler AG: “Record earnings can only be achieved as a result of a record performance. The employees showed maximum flexibility and worked hard to achieve those record figures. This will be honored by the performance participation bonus.”

Stuttgart – In agreement with the General Works Council, the Board of Management of Daimler AG has set a performance participation bonus for the year 2011 of €4,100 (previous year: €3,150) be paid to each entitled employee. The amount of the annual employee bonus at Daimler AG is always related to the company’s performance in the previous financial year.

In the past jubilee year – “125 Years! Inventor of the Automobile” – Daimler set new records for unit sales (2.1 million vehicles), revenue (€106.5 billion), EBIT (€8.8 billion) and net profit (€6.0 Mrd.). On the basis of these excellent results, the company will pay the highest performance participation bonus in its history.

Wilfried Porth, Board of Management Member for Human Resources and Labor Relations Director of Daimler AG: “Daimler looks back on an excellent year. Our employees made the decisive contribution to that with their outstanding performance and maximum commitment. These exceptional efforts will be given special recognition with our performance participation bonus.”

Erich Klemm, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler AG: “Record earnings can only be achieved as a result of a record performance. For this reason, the General Works Council was in favor of an employee bonus also at a record level. The employees showed maximum flexibility with high levels of overtime, Saturday shifts and night shifts, and worked hard to achieve those record figures. We regard the performance participation bonus as appropriate recognition by the company of those efforts.”

The performance participation bonus for the year 2011 will be paid out with the salaries for April 2012. Those entitled to receive the bonus are not only the employees of Daimler AG in Germany paid according to collective wage-tariff agreements, but also apprentices and trainees, students from cooperative state universities and doctoral students.

Record Sales From the Start: Mercedes-Benz Posts New All-Time High in January

• Dr. Joachim Schmidt:
• “We continued the positive development from the record year 2011 in January and started successfully into the new year.”
• “We intend to maintain this pace over the coming months and are expecting substantial sales growth in the first quarter. The new B-Class in particular is getting an excellent response from customers.”
• “This year, we want to exceed our record sales from 2011 and once again plan to achieve the best year in the company’s history.”
• Excellent performance in many markets: Record sales and strongest premium brand in the U.S., still the most successful premium brand in Germany, significant sales growth in Japan
• smart starts with strong performance into the year

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz has started 2012 with record sales for the month of January. The brand sold a total of 86,921 units worldwide, thus exceeding the previous year’s record by another 5.1%. Sales in the Mercedes-Benz Cars division also reached a new high in January by handing over 94,526 passenger cars of the Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach brands to customers (+5.8%).

Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars: “We continued the positive development from the record year 2011 in January and started successfully into the new year. We intend to maintain this pace over the coming months and are expecting substantial sales growth in the first quarter. The new B-Class in particular is getting an excellent response from customers. The imminent production start-up in Kecskemét means that we will have even more vehicles at our disposal, which will allow us to even better accommodate the high demand.”

In addition to the B-Class, in 2012, the company is expecting further tailwind among others from the sustained high demand in the C-Class segment, continued growth in SUV sales and the launch of the new A-Class and the CLS Shooting Brake.

Dr. Schmidt continued, “This year, we want to exceed our record sales from 2011 and once again plan to achieve the best year in the company’s history.”

In the USA Mercedes-Benz achieved a very strong start into the year with record sales in January. With 20,306 units sold, sales increased by 23.8%. Thus, Mercedes-Benz was the most successful premium brand in January in the U.S. The brand also enjoyed a very positive performance in Canada, where it was the market leader in the premium segment in January. After record sales in the full year 2011, deliveries in January reached a new monthly high with1,773 units (+26.5%). Mercedes-Benz repeated this success in Mexico (+22.4%) and the entire NAFTA region, where the brand increased its sales by 24.0% in January to 22,660 units.

Mercedes-Benz also started with an excellent performance into the new year in its home market. With brand sales of 12,627 vehicles, corresponding a growth of 14.0%, Mercedes-Benz underlined its position as the strongest premium brand in Germany as it did in 2011 as a whole. This development was driven in particular by the high demand for the new B-Class, which led its segment in the new vehicle registration statistics of Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) in January. At 21,578 units, Mercedes-Benz’ sales in Western Europe (excluding Germany) were over previous year’s level (+1.4%).

Due to the excellent sales performance in December 2011 as well as the capacity expansion at BBAC and the associated production downtime, in China some models were just partially available in January. Overall sales (incl. Hong Kong) totaled 14,463 units (-7.0%). As in full-year 2011, Mercedes-Benz generated record sales in the growth markets Russia (+41.7%) and India (+17.0%).

The S-Class sedan was the best-selling vehicle in its segment in 2011. In January, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz brand developed excellently, too. A total of 5,302 units (+0.4%) were delivered to customers. Also a very positive start to the year saw the C-Class sedan. With 18,235 units sold, deliveries were up 4.3% compared to the first month of the previous year. On the road to success is also the C-Class estate, whose sales in January rose by 10.8%.

The new B-Class also enjoyed a strong January with sales rising by 7.8%. The company expects to see a further sales boost over the coming months with the first of a total of five new compact models. From the second quarter, the B-Class will be fully available in other markets as a result of the additional production in Kecskemét.

Among the SUVs, the new M-Class (+15.2%), the G-Class (+17.1%), and the GL-Class (+9.6%) enjoyed especially positive development. There was even more reason for the new M-Class to celebrate at the start of the year: It was chosen best in its category within the “Best Cars of 2012” awards voted by readers of the German car magazine “auto, motor und sport”. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class took second place.

The smart fortwo started the year with a brilliant increase in its January sales by 13.7% to a total of 7,605 vehicles. Once again, the two-seater was particularly successful in China (incl. Hong Kong), where 1,464 vehicles were handed over to customers. Sales in the U.S. also developed very positively, rising by 38.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. The smart fortwo also enjoyed increased demand in the UK (+52.8%), Spain (+47.4%), and Mexico (+9.0%). In 2012, the smart will get further positive momentum from two highlights: the smart ebike and the third generation of the smart fortwo electric drive.
Mercedes-Benz Cars: Sales at a Glance

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