Volkswagen profitiert von steigenden Preisen und aktuell hoher Nachfrage
Volkswagen-Produktion im Stammwerk Wolfsburg: Die aktuellen Quartalszahlen sind noch sehr ordentlich ausgefallen. Doch schon 2023 könnte alles sehr anders aussehen.
(Foto: Reuters)
Höhere Auslieferungen und bessere Verkaufspreise haben den Gewinn von Volkswagen kräftig steigen lassen. Im dritten Quartal sprang das operative Ergebnis um knapp zwei Drittel auf rund 4,3 Milliarden Euro, wie der Konzern am Freitag mitteilte. Analysten hatten im Schnitt rund 400 Millionen Euro mehr erwartet. Doch die Kosten für den Börsengang von Porsche und Abschreibungen durch die Aussetzung des Russlands-Geschäfts belasteten das Ergebnis mit insgesamt 1,6 Milliarden Euro.
Wegen anhaltender Lieferengpässe und der aufziehenden Rezession ist Europas größter Autokonzern beim Absatz pessimistischer geworden: Statt eines Wachstums um fünf bis zehn Prozent erwartet der Konzern nun Auslieferungen nur noch in der Größenordnung des Vorjahres.
>> Read more: Volkswagen and Ford give up a billion-dollar project for autonomous driving – employees appalled
“In the third quarter, Volkswagen made good progress on the way to more sustainable value creation for the shareholders,” explained the new CEO Oliver Blume, who also heads the sports car subsidiary Porsche AG. Above all, he emphasized progress in the China business and in the USA. Progress has also been made in securing the raw materials for the ambitious plans in e-mobility. Sales climbed 24 percent to 70.7 billion euros.
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“This quarter was another step on the way to achieving our goals,” said Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz. He confirmed the forecast for sales and profitability. Volkswagen therefore continues to assume that revenue will increase by between eight and 13 percent this year and that the operating return will end up at the upper end of the forecast range of between 7.0 and 8.5 percent.
Settlement of Argo AI costs VW billions
The bottom line is that quarterly profit fell by more than a quarter because Volkswagen had to deduct 1.9 billion euros from the financial result for the winding-up of the robot car startup Argo AI, which it holds with Ford. Volkswagen has not yet named the future partner for autonomous driving. Reuters, citing insiders, reported on Thursday that the group would expand its collaboration with Mobileye to make up for the loss of Argo.
The increase in the operating result was so high mainly because the semiconductor crisis and corona lockdowns in China slowed down production a year ago. According to experts, the special boom, in which car manufacturers mainly sold high-yield vehicles and raised prices due to the lack of parts, is coming to an end.
Deliveries rose by around eleven percent to 2.2 million vehicles in the period from July to September. This was mainly due to the fact that backlogged orders were being processed. Due to the easing of supply chain problems, however, the proportion of high-volume vehicles, from which mass manufacturers such as VW earn less, is now increasing.
In 2023, automakers will see the next crisis brewing when high inflation, rising interest rates and the energy crisis in Europe will have an impact on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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