Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler reported Friday a sluggish start to the year, with first-quarter profits falling back compared to 2018 as a slew of problems hit its different divisions. Net profit at the group shed nine percent year-on-year, to 2.1 billion euros ($2.4 billion), with executives pointing to slower car sales, supply chain issues and costly outlays for research and development as the reasons for the slump.
Operating, or underlying profit fell even more dramatically, losing 16 percent to 2.8 billion euros, on revenues almost flat at 39.7 billion. "We cannot and will not be satisfied with this - as expected - moderate start to the year," outgoing chief executive Dieter Zetsche said in a statement. But the flamboyantly-moustachioed auto boss left Daimler's annual targets for this year untouched.
The Stuttgart-based group predicts a "slight increase in unit sales" across its cars, trucks and vans units will help inch up revenue and operating profit compared with 2018.
Looking to the group's different divisions, unit sales dropped seven percent at Mercedes-Benz cars in the first three months, to 555,300 vehicles.
Model changeovers and supply bottlenecks in some markets outside Germany helped brake performance, as well as "intense competition", Daimler said.
Meanwhile the trucks unit upped unit sales and revenue slightly, but spent more on research and development and suffered from higher costs, slicing into profits.
There was a similar picture at the vans division, with higher sales offset by greater costs, while the buses unit suffered falling unit sales and revenues as quality control changes held up deliveries.