Mercedes-Benz: Global sales figures fall ahead of US tariffs
The passenger car division of Mercedes-Benz $MBG (-0.47%) had to contend with a decline in sales figures in the first quarter. A total of 446,300 vehicles were sold, which corresponds to a decline of 4 percent compared to the previous year. The van segment was particularly hard hit, with only 82,900 vehicles finding buyers - a sharp drop of 21 percent compared to the same quarter last year, which was characterized by strong sales.
The decline in sales figures is not surprising, as it was strongly influenced by model changes, particularly in the entry-level segment. In Germany, car sales slumped by 10 percent, partly due to the discontinuation of the electric Smarts. However, there is also a ray of hope: The new CLA, which will not be launched until the summer, could act as a beacon of hope for the brand. Unfortunately, the trend of decline also continued in other vehicle classes, including the lucrative top-end models, sales of which fell by 2 percent.
BP: Chairman of the Board Helge Lund announces resignation
At BP $BP. (+0.65%) the news of Helge Lund's resignation as Chairman of the Board of Directors caused a stir among shareholders. Insiders reported that the hedge fund Elliott felt that Lund's new plans were not ambitious enough and was considering demanding changes in management. The pressure on Lund is growing as other shareholders are also expressing concerns about his time management between BP and the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, of which he has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. The situation is particularly volatile at Novo Nordisk, whose share price has halved since last summer - a fact that only reinforces doubts about Lund's effectiveness. The coming weeks could be decisive for BP's strategic direction.
Sources:
https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/autoindustrie/mercedes-benz-weltweite-verkaufszahlen-sinken-vor-us-zoellen-a-c670a0d7-875f-4d01-b11a-e3bcc05a3691
https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/energie/bp-verwaltungsratschef-helge-lund-kuendigt-ruecktritt-an-a-c701b677-4466-4fa6-a0d2-a43aa0221a5c
