Daimler Is Rolling In Money

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Who says an automaker needs at least 5 million units per year to survive? Daimler in Germany made $6.7 billion EBIT on sales of just 989,386 units in the first half year. Unlike other car companies who are sitting on such a big pile of accrued losses that no taxes will be due in the foreseeable future, Daimler made a healthy contribution to the government’s finances. Even after tax, the company is left with $4.2 billion for the first half year. This according to emailed statements by Daimler.

According to this statement, the second quarter was “among the best in the Group’s entire history.” His mustache trembling with excitement, Daimler CEO Zetsche said:

“With our excellent first half of the year, we are fully on schedule to turn 2011 into one of the most successful years in our long corporate history. We now assume that Group EBIT will develop more positively than we previously expected and will very significantly exceed the level of 2010.”

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Buickman Buickman on Jul 27, 2011

    meanwhile Ally Bank reduces lease admin fees for a week on GM leases and select GM Card holders get a bump on their earnings. profit vs struggle...the difference is management.

    • See 1 previous
    • Eldard Eldard on Jul 27, 2011
      @Suter They probably have more people thinking on ways how to make more money out of thin air Geithner?
  • Advo Advo on Jul 27, 2011

    They can start making back the $45 billion (or was it $60b?)they lost on Chrysler. It still makes my head spin that they can get it so wrong thinking the synergies were there and that the two different corporate cultures could be persuaded to actually collaborate with that goal in mind. "Mr. Zetsche insisted that Chrysler did not drain cash from Mercedes. Despite its recent losses, it generated nearly $15 billion in cumulative profits during the years it was owned by Daimler. But analysts said Daimler could have found better uses for the cash it poured into Chrysler. “They spent about $60 billion acquiring, restructuring and investing in Chrysler over the last nine years,” Mr. Jonas of Morgan Stanley said. “Just think where the next $60 billion could go if it was invested properly.” " http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/business/worldbusiness/15daimler.html

    • See 5 previous
    • Windswords Windswords on Jul 28, 2011

      @bienville Ford and GM lost a TON of money at the same time. Chrysler being the smallest and having gone thru hard times of it's own in the late 70's (remember, they hired Iaccoca to lead a turnaround) couldn't take the hit caused by the gas shortage. Imagine if Ford had hired Mullaly but a year later than they did. And they didn't mortgage everything including the logo until he came aboard. Mullay's plans and leadership would have done the same things for Ford, but because he was a year too late they would have been caught up in Carmeggedon. Then Ford would have been in the same boat as GM and Chrysler and would not have survived without government assistance and C11. (Some argue that they got government loans anyway from the DOE)

  • Rpol35 Rpol35 on Jul 27, 2011

    If their EBIT is going to be that positive, Dieter ought to blow the dustballs off of the check book and pay someone to trim that 'stache of his. He looks like a friggin' Fuller Brush salesman.

  • Eldard Eldard on Jul 27, 2011

    Yeah, so? With all their trucks and missiles they're still pathetically chasing numbers with those Bavarian barbarians.

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