FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen AG saw net profit rise 58 percent in the third quarter because of an accounting boost from its takeover of Porsche, but other profit measures fell and the company said it was facing an uncertain economic environment.
The company held on to its full year forecast for earnings equal to last year’s, and said the full integration of Porsche and the company’s presence in all major regions of the world meant it was in good shape.
Nonetheless, the numbers at the opening of earnings season for German carmakers suggested that they could no longer completely escape the downdraft from the eurozone debt crisis that has walloped consumers in Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW have reaped fat earnings from strong export sales of more profitable luxury vehicles to the U.S. and China. But analysts say pricing and margins — the amount earned on each car — are under pressure at home in Europe and in the Chinese market, even though the economy there may be growing.
Volkswagen group net profit rose to (euro) 11.38 billion ($14.8 billion) from (euro) 7.14 billion in the same quarter last year.
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