German FAZ: VW boss Blume warns of a “massive risk” 009365

At the start of the Annual General Meeting of the Volkswagen Group, CEO Oliver Blume committed the workforce and the shareholders on Friday morning to continue to work on the costs. Management has made progress in the conversion of the Wolfsburg car manufacturer, but is faced with many political and economic influences that burdened the result. Blume spoke of a “massive risk location of external environmental influences”. There is “substantial need for action to strengthen the robustness of the group.” The 65th ordinary general meeting of the VW Group began at ten o’clock. As in the previous year, it runs purely virtually. Talking the management transfers the company from the headquarters in Wolfsburg via livestream, and shareholder representatives can be switched on to comment on the location of the car manufacturer. In his speech, Blume referred to the weak car market within the EU. The ride of electromobility is flatter than expected, just like in America. In China the “innovation and price dynamics” is high. What is meant is that more and more competitors are launching new vehicles there and fighting with low prices for customers. At the same time, VW has to issue significant means of products and various types of drive due to various regulations in the world regions. VW wants to grow growing in the USA 56 -year -old manager of a “structurally and financially weakened supplier network” with which the group and its brands would have to handle. Above all, the uncertainty in the trade with the United States is also available. For the business there, VW, as previously for the Chinese market, wants to develop its own target, Blume announced without calling further details. Just so much: “We want to grow in the region. With products that are consistently based on the expectations of American customers.” It is expected that VW will expand its production on site, also in order to avoid a possibly permanent burden of Trump’s tariffs. More on the Themavw, more for the German locations, a savings plan had negotiated with the union for the German locations, which includes the dismantling of 35,000 jobs. At the same time, new models should ensure more growth. After the group brands had released 30 new vehicles last year, so many should follow this year. In his speech, VW will present the electric small cars of its brands VW, Skoda and Cupra for the first time at the IAA car show in September. They are expected to come onto the market for prices for prices for prices for prices. Last year, surgical profit of 19 (2023: 22.5) described billions of billions in view of the many difficulties around the world as solid. But: “We are not satisfied with these results. Our claim is significantly higher.” The same applies to the share price. The preferred share has increased slightly since the beginning of the year, but it is far below the status of 2021 when the course had reached an intermediate high of almost 250 euros. For the past financial year, the shareholders should receive a dividend of 6.30 euros per master share and 6.36 euros per preferred share.
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