Fiat on Monday confirmed it expected to meet its target of breaking even at operating level this year, according to Reuters.


“The achievement of operating profitability in the second quarter of this year bolsters the group’s confidence in its ability to attain the goal of operating break-even for 2004,” Fiat reportedly said in a statement.


Reuters noted that, last week, Italian newspaper la Repubblica reported that new CEO Sergio Marchionne would push back the targets, partly due to a strike at Fiat’s Melfi plant and partly because some parts of Morchio’s plan were too optimistic.