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Shares of Porsche (ETR:) Automobil Holding (POAHY) fell more than 2% in Frankfurt on Wednesday, a day after the carmaker issued a weak profit margin outlook for 2024.
The company’s operating profit rose 7.6% to €7.28 billion in 2023, while sales revenue climbed 7.7% year-over-year to €40.53 billion.
Porsche proposed a dividend of €2.30 per ordinary share, more than double the €1 per share proposed in 2022.
But the negative stock reaction was triggered by the German luxury automaker’s outlook. Notably, the company said it anticipates an operating return on sales of between 15% and 17% in 2024, down from the 18% margin notched in 2023 and the year before that.
In the long term, Porsche targets an operating return on sales of over 20%.
The conservative guidance comes due to “the comprehensive renewal of its product range in 2024, the global framework conditions, higher depreciation on capitalized development costs, and the continued investments in the brand and the Porsche ecosystem,” the company said.
Porsche expects full-year 2024 sales to range between €40 billion and €42 billion.
While Q4 earnings and cash flow look good, the main negative from the report is the weak margin outlook.
“Most investors expected a 16-18% range,” analysts said in a note.
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