Daimler said it booked record levels of unit sales and revenue and significantly increased earnings in the first quarter of 2015.

Sales rose 13% year on year to 641,600 cars and commercial vehicles worldwide in the first quarter with Mercedes-Benz Cars sales up 18% to 459,700 vehicles, a record for a first quarter.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Group rose 16% to EUR34.2bn and EBIT rose to EUR2,906m from EUR1,787m. EBIT from the ongoing business rose 41% to to EUR2,930m and net profit by 89% to EUR2,050m.

“We made a very good start to the year 2015 and continued along our successful path with record levels of unit sales, revenue and EBIT in the first quarter,” said Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche. “Our growth strategy, our product offensives and our efficiency programmes are paying off. We have already achieved a lot, we look to the future with great confidence, and we aim to achieve even more.”

Mercedes-Benz Cars primarily contributed to the increase in EBIT by 63%. The development of the division’s earnings was mainly the result of further growth in unit sales in all regions. Earnings increased also significantly at Daimler Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Due to market conditions, Daimler Buses was unable to match its very high earnings of Q1 2014. Daimler Financial Services’ earnings increased primarily as a result of its higher contract volume. Changes in exchange rates had an overall positive impact on operating profit.

“As a result of our substantial investment, we are profiting from a strong product portfolio. In combination with the systematic continuation of our efficiency measures, we will continue our profitable growth,” said finance chief Bodo Uebber. “We are on a very good path to meet our forecasts. At the same time, we will step-by-step approach our margin targets.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Mercedes-Benz Cars revenue increased by 15% to EUR19.5bn and its EBIT of EUR1,841m was significantly higher than the EUR1,183m in Q1 2014. Return on sales was 9.4% (7.0%).