Daimler Truck $DTG (-5,8%) recently gave a deep insight into its current challenges. Sales fell by 3 percent to 54.1 billion euros due to the tense economic situation in Europe and Asia. This difficult situation was further exacerbated by high value adjustments of 591 million euros before interest and taxes. The profit for shareholders now stands at 2.9 billion euros - a fall of almost a quarter. Despite these sobering figures, the dividend remains stable at 1.90 euros per share, which offers investors a small ray of hope in this challenging phase.
Looking to the future, however, Daimler Truck has optimistic plans. The operating margin in the industrial business, excluding financial services, fell by one percentage point to 8.9 percent. The Group has set itself the target of increasing this margin to 8 to 10 percent in the coming year. One positive sign is the order intake in the last quarter, which rose by an impressive 15 percent to 124,046 vehicles despite a 2 percent decline for the year as a whole. This development could indicate an imminent recovery and give hope for the future.
In the USA, the discussion about looser climate regulations has weighed heavily on Daimler Truck's share price. While the shares of Traton and Volvo are also under pressure, the decline of Daimler Truck as the market leader in North America is particularly striking. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced more than 30 relaxations of regulations, which also affect CO₂ reduction regulations for commercial vehicles. These developments could have far-reaching consequences for Daimler Truck's most important market, especially as the company has invested heavily in zero-emission drives under CEO Karin Rådström. The coming months will show how these factors will affect the business.
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