宝马公司第二季度利润下降76% (BMW's Earnings Decline 76%)

　　宝马公司（BMW AG）周二公布，由于豪华轿车需求低迷，第二季度的利润下滑了76%.对于今年剩余时间的前景，这家汽车制造商也没有给出明确的预期。

　　由于政府的以旧换新刺激措施提振的主要是小型车，豪华车的销售最近几个月受到的打击尤为沉重。

　　Associated Press北京一个车展上的宝马Z4这家全球豪华车销量排名第一的汽车制造商说，第二季度的净利润为1.19亿欧元（合1.715亿美元），低于上年同期的5.06亿欧元。收入下降了11%，从145.5亿欧元降至129.7亿欧元。

　　宝马首席执行长雷瑟夫（Norbert Reithofer）在声明中说，尽管出现了一些暂时性的积极信号，持续的全面的复苏还很遥远。

　　这家总部位于慕尼黑的公司上周说，作为大规模精简成本结构的一部分，公司将在2009赛季结束后退出知名的一级方程式赛车锦标赛。这项决定彰显出，在该行业经历需求低迷、开发替代传动设备和绿色技术成本不断上升的情况下，汽车制造商所面临的巨大压力。

　　宝马计划超额完成最初定下的在2012年削减40亿欧元材料成本的目标，这是其削减60亿欧元成本目标的一部分。降低材料、生产和开发费用预计占到了计划削减成本的三分之二。

　　雷瑟夫说，经过努力，我们在今年上半年创造了5.16亿欧元的正自由现金流。截至第二季度末，宝马的净流动资金增加到119亿欧元。

　　宝马公司备受关注的利息、税项前收益下降了60%，从4.25亿欧元降到了1.69亿欧元。

　　与其形成对比的是，戴姆勒（Daimler AG）旗下的核心业务部门梅赛德斯-奔驰（Mercedes-Benz）第二季度利息、税项前亏损为3.40亿欧元，而上年同期的利润为12.1亿欧元。

　　BMW AG on Tuesday posted a 76% slump in second-quarter profit as demand for luxury cars sagged， and the auto maker shied away from giving a concrete outlook for the remainder of the year.

　　Sales of luxury cars have been particularly hard hit in recent months as government-backed incentives to trade in old cars have revived demand mainly for smaller vehicles rather than for big， premium models.

　　The world's largest luxury-vehicle maker by sales said second-quarter net profit was 119 million （$171.5 million）， down from 506 million a year earlier. Revenue dropped 11% to 12.97 billion from 14.55 billion.

　　'Despite some tentative positive signals， a lasting and wide-ranging recovery is not yet in sight，' BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said in a statement.

　　The Munich-based company last week said it would leave the prestigious Formula One motor-racing series at the end of the 2009 season as part of a wider move to streamline its cost structure. The decision highlights the pressure auto makers face as the industry experiences a demand downturn at a time when costs to develop alternative drive trains and establish green technologies are rising.

　　BMW plans to exceed its initial target of 4 billion of material-cost reductions by 2012 as part of a wide-ranging cost-cutting target of 6 billion. Reducing expenses in materials， production and development are expected to account for two-thirds of the planned reduction.

　　'We managed to generate a positive free cash flow of 516 million for the first half of the year，' Mr. Reithofer said. BMW's net liquidity increased to 11.9 billion at the end of the second quarter.

　　BMW's closely watched earnings before interest and tax， or EBIT， fell 60% to 169 million from 425 million.

　　By contrast， Daimler AG's core Mercedes-Benz division posted a 340 million loss before interest and tax for the second quarter， compared with a 1.21 billion profit in the year-earlier period.