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- Gurbaz century takes Afghanistan to 311-4 in 2nd ODI
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- McLaren's Norris sets Singapore pace as struggling Verstappen 15th
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- Paris Olympics sports equipment moves to new homes
- 'Happy' Kinghorn relishing life at Toulouse
- Norris sets Singapore pace as Verstappen only 15th
- 8 dead in Israeli strike, source says Hezbollah commander killed
- Germany to bid to host women's Euro 2029
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- Postecoglou defends Solanke after slow start to Spurs career
- US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen to power Microsoft
- Arteta urges Arsenal to take next step in Man City showdown
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- Verstappen punished for swearing in Singapore press conference
- Sri Lanka lead by 202 in first New Zealand Test
- Brook 'not too fussed' by England's batting in heavy Australia loss
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- India in box seat after Bumrah takes four against Bangladesh
- Taiwan retains death penalty but limits use to 'exceptional' cases
- Ferrari's Leclerc sets early pace in Singapore ahead of Norris
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Volkswagen profits surge despite selling fewer cars
Volkswagen said Friday its net profits jumped last year despite selling fewer cars due to the semiconductor shortage as buyers forked out for better-equipped cars.
The German automaker's net profit rose 75 percent to 15.4 billion euros ($16.8 billion) in 2021.
The 12-brand group sold 8.6 million cars last year, 600,000 fewer than in 2020 and 2.4 million below 2019 levels.
However, sales revenue rose 12 percent in part due to "favourable pricing" and reduced costs.
The world's second-largest automotive group expects sales volumes to rise by 5 to 10 percent in 2022 despite the continuing impact of chip shortages, it said.
This prediction "is subject to the further development of the war in Ukraine and in particular the impact on the group's supply chains and the global economy as a whole," VW said in a statement.
Revenues are expected to rise between 8 and 13 percent in 2022, with operating return on sales to reach between 7 and 8.5 percent -- compared with 7.7 percent in 2021 and 4.3 percent in 2020.
In 2021, "customers were prepared to buy better-equipped cars" and "premium brands fared slightly better" than less expensive "volume" brands, VW's financial director Arno Antlitz told an online conference.
In addition, Volkswagen was able to give fewer discounts and concentrate its semiconductor sourcing on Europe at the expense of other less profitable regions, Antlitz said.
Y.Bouchard--BTB