Daimler Posts Profit, Lifts Targets
FRANKFURT — Daimler AG said Tuesday it swung to a second-quarter net profit and lifted its target for full-year earnings before interest and tax, fueled by a speedy recovery in the luxury-car market, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The car and truck maker posted a net profit of €1.25 billion ($1.62 billion) compared with a year-earlier net loss of $1.02 billion, driven by soaring car sales at Mercedes-Benz as well as recovering truck markets. Revenue jumped 28% to €25.11 billion from €19.61 billion.
Daimler said it is now targeting full-year earnings before interest and taxes, or Ebit, of €6 billion compared with a previous target of more than €4 billion.
"We have a very dynamic development of unit sales and revenue in all divisions," Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said in a statement, adding that the company expects "significant revenue growth" for the full year.
Daimler expects its core Mercedes-Benz division to account for €4 billion in Ebit in 2010 and the truck division for around €1 billion.
The Stuttgart-based company previously had expected Ebit at the Mercedes-Benz Cars unit to come in at the upper end of a €2.5 billion to €3 billion range.
Daimler is the world's largest truck maker by sales and the world's second-best-selling luxury car maker behind BMW AG. It was hard hit by last year's slump in demand for premium cars and trucks, but staged a powerful earnings recovery in recent months and is moving closer to its profitability target at Mercedes-Benz Cars.
According to previous statements, the unit is expected to achieve a return on sales of 10 percent in the second half of 2012 and maintain this level in 2013.
More Industry

Kia Closes Out Summer With a Bang
Its U.S. subsidiary broke multiple records in August, in part due to a surge of demand for hybrids models.
Read More →
Indiana Dealership Changes Hands
A 30-year-old Ford dealership in Indiana has a new owner and will soon be undergoing renovations to meet manufacturer requirements.
Read More →
Texas Dealership No Longer in the Family
The Ford store, a longtime cornerstone of the Houston market, is now part of one of the fastest-growing U.S. auto groups.
Read More →
Genesis Grows California Presence
The Cardinale Automotive Group opened its third Genesis rooftop in the Golden State, Genesis of San Bruno, a stand-alone dealership serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read More →
August Auto Sales a Mixed Bag
An early forecast shows strong business despite consumer hurdles, and hybrids are a big piece of their affordability coping strategy.
Read More →
EV Market Humming Along
July sales show steady growth as the segment stabilizes from last year’s artificial surge following pullback of federal support.
Read More →
Auto Loan Delinquency Rates Stabilize
Auto loans are a main driver of nonmortgage consumer debt, but delinquency rates stabilized in the second quarter across all credit risk tiers.
Read More →
EV Sales Recover in Q2
The EV sales roller coaster continues as numbers show improvement, but industry experts predict a year-over-year third-quarter decline and fourth-quarter jump.
Read More →
The Cheapest Hybrids to Fuel
The powertrain is increasing in popularity, in no small part due to its fuel economy. A new report lists the most efficient hybrids on the market.
Read More →
Hybrids and SUVs Gaining Ground
The most recent Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch found that only two nonluxury brands increased in shopper consideration, buoyed by their hybrid and SUV offerings.
Read More →