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☆ Audi puts planned Formula One entry under review - Spiegel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Audi is seen outside an Audi car dealer in Brussels, Belgium March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Audi has placed its plans to enter Formula One under review, German news outlet Spiegel reported on Thursday. Citing sources at parent company Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Spiegel said the plans were being "analysed in detail" in the wake of a management change and cost-cutting measures. Asked for official comment by Spiegel, Audi said the plan for Formula One entry had been agreed by its management and supervisory boards as well as its parent company, and that the timetable remained unchanged. Audi announced last year that it would enter Formula One from 2026 with one of the sport's existing teams and using a new power unit to be built in Germany.

Persons: Yves Herman, Spiegel, Audi, Markus Duesmann, Duesmann, Gernot Doellner, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray Organizations: Audi, REUTERS, Rights, Formula, Spiegel, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Germany

☆ Volvo Cars' promise of EV boom falls on deaf ears as shares drop 12%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Marie Mannes | Thomson Reuters | Stockholm-Based Company News Correspondent Who Mainly Covers Anything To Do With Retail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As the company reported third-quarter earnings, Chief Executive Jim Rowan told Reuters that he saw healthy demand for its cars, and was optimistic the margins would increase further in the fourth quarter. Volvo's BEV margins were 9% in the quarter, a sharp increase from the previous quarter's figure of 3%. Rowan said he expected the trend of falling prices of raw materials to continue, helping the company increase margins further for the fourth quarter. Investors proved unconvinced, as Volvo shares, down 10% by 1014 GMT, after having fallen as much as 12%, looked set for their biggest ever one-day drop. EV makers have engaged in stiff competition this year, after Tesla ignited a price war intensified by new Chinese players.

Persons: Aly, Jim Rowan, EVs, BEV, Rowan, Jefferies, Philippe Houchois, Houchois, Tesla, China's Geely, Marie Mannes, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Terje Solsvik, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Volvo, Auto Shanghai, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Benz, Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, China's, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights STOCKHOLM, EVs

☆ European stocks open lower as earnings roll in; Standard Chartered plunges 10%; ECB set to hold rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Auto stocks plunged 3.45% as results disappointed, while travel stocks traded 1.7% lower. European stock markets opened sharply lower Thursday as attention remains on third-quarter earnings and government bond yields. Results are out from a slew of companies including Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, TotalEnergies, Volvo Cars, Novozymes, Volkswagen, Carrefour, Saab and Wacker Chemie. Meanwhile, monetary policy decisions are due from the European Central Bank — for which markets have priced in a more than 98% likelihood of a hold in interest rates — and the central bank of Turkey, from which economists polled by Reuters anticipate a 500 basis point hike to 35%. The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield hit a fresh 10-year high ahead of a central bank meeting next week, according to Reuters data.

Organizations: Chartered, Standard Chartered, BNP, TotalEnergies, Volvo, Volkswagen, Carrefour, Saab, Wacker Chemie, Investors, Facebook, Meta, European Central Bank —, Reuters, Treasury Locations: London, Turkey, Asia, Pacific

☆ Volkswagen says commodity markets still uncertain after Q3 hedge hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday warned the outlook for commodity markets remained uncertain after confirming it took a major hit to its third-quarter profit from raw materials hedges. Like many other industrial firms, automakers hedge against commodity price swings, potentially leading to non-cash gains or losses, usually at the end of each quarter. This led to a 2.5 billion euro ($2.64 billion) non-cash loss in the third quarter that it will be unable to offset by the end of the year. "The further development of the commodity markets remains unpredictable," Volkswagen said. Volkswagen on Thursday confirmed it posted 78.8 billion euros in third-quarter sales and a 14% rise in operating profit to 4.9 billion euros.

Persons: Angelika Warmuth, Arno Antlitz, Victoria Waldersee, Nick Carey, Rachel More, Jamie Freed Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, BERLIN, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany

Expectations for persistently higher interest rates has led companies to alter plans as they eye 2024 warily. "EV demand next year could be lower than expectations," Lee Chang-sil, chief financial officer at South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) said on Wednesday, due to global economic uncertainty. GM on Tuesday said it would focus near-term EV efforts on meeting demand rather than hitting specific volume targets. If interest rates remain high or if they go even higher, it's that much harder for people to buy the car." Like many other industrial firms, carmakers hedge against commodity price swings, and with EV demand slowing, raw material prices have softened, including those used heavily in batteries.

Persons: Tesla, Aly, Lee Chang, Mary Barra, Elon Musk, Nidec, China's CATL, Ben Klayman, David Gaffen, Eric Onstad, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Honda, EV, sil, South, LG Energy, General Motors, GM, Investors, Tech, Cox Automotive, European Union, Volkswagen, Fastmarkets, CME, U.S, Ford, EVs, Victoria Waldersee, Thomson Locations: Tesla China, Shanghai, China, KS, United States, Mexico, Detroit, New York, London, Berlin

☆ Insiders question WPP CEO Mark Read's bounceback plan after chaotic period of mergers, account losses, and a stock market slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"OMD and Publicis are winning all the meaningful pitches," said a former WPP agency executive, referring to competitors Omnicom and Publicis Groupe. Further, GroupM is just one of the many parts of WPP's business that Read needs to fix. Insiders describe a whirlwind of change but confusion about the bigger visionA current WPP agency executive said they were frustrated by what they described as a vacuum of information about the bigger strategy for WPP. Getty Images"It feels like something bigger has to happen now," said a current WPP agency executive. The ongoing pitch for Volkswagen's $4 billion global media business underscores the tremendous amount of resources needed to win the proposal, and the huge prize at stake.

Persons: Christian Juhl, San, GroupM, Publicis, Kirk McDonald, McDonald didn't, Ogilvy, it's, Thomas Singlehurst, Juhl, Mark Read's, It's, Read, Martin Sorrell, AKQA, Sard, Wunderman Thompson, J.Walter Thompson, Joanne Wilson, Andrew Scott, Roberto Quarta, Angela Ahrendts, Craig Barritt, —, haven't, Clark, Arthur Sadoun, WPP's Read, Michael Farmer Organizations: WPP, Publicis, L'Oreal, Omnicom Media Group, Pfizer, North, GroupM, Verizon, Discovery, Adobe, Citigroup, Shanghai, reined, AKQA Group, Finsbury Glover, Partners, Young, Rubicam, London Stock Exchange, Brexit, Getty, Burberry, Apple, The New School Industry, VW, Groupe, Epsilon Locations: San Francisco, China, EssenceMediaCom, Kansas, Kansas City, New York, Mayfair , London, New York City

☆ Tesla faces Justice Department probe of range claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Justice Department is investigating whether or not Tesla cars can live up to the EPA’s official estimates of how far they can go on a single charge. But Consumer Reports has conducted tests that it said shows Tesla vehicles fall well short of the advertised range, no matter the weather. The organization conducted its own range tests on the Tesla Model Y as well as the Volkswagen ID.4, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The ID.4 and Mach-E both did slightly better than claimed in warm weather, the Ioniq 5 got within two miles of the claim of a 256-mile range. It went 274 miles in warm weather in the Consumer Reports test, compared to the official EPA stated range of 326 miles.

Persons: “, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, The Justice, SEC, DOJ, Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford, Consumer, EPA, Justice Department Locations: New York

REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China is upping the critical minerals stakes by curbing exports of graphite, a key raw material in electric vehicle batteries. There is much potential for further escalation in this unfolding critical minerals battle between China and the West. Previous restrictions on lower-grade graphite exports destined for the steel and lubricants sectors have been rescinded. The world's graphite supply chain could well be in for a similar short-term shock. Western governments are still evaluating their response, waiting like the rest of us to see how China's graphite volumes play out in the coming months.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Wei Jianguo, Wei, Biden, Obama, Trump, Adam Hodge, China's Wei, David Evans Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Commerce, U.S, Chips, Benchmark Minerals, U.S . Department, Department of Defense, EV, World Trade Organization, European Union, WTO, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, China, U.S, Alaska, Australia, Japan

☆ Only 2 major car companies haven't joined Tesla's charging tech yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Alexa St. John | Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A flood of automakers have announced their EVs will adopt Tesla's charging tech. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt started with a drop, and then a flood of automakers announcing their vehicles would soon support Tesla's charging technology, a major win for consumers and a massive vote of confidence for the plug. But even as the companies behind a vast number of new electric vehicles announce support for the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, two major holdouts remain: Volkswagen and Stellantis. Though ChargePoint dominates in US charging overall in terms of quantity of plugs, Tesla leads in terms of number of fast-charging ports, according to consultancy EVAdoption.

Persons: —, Stellantis, haven't, Tesla, Elon Musk Organizations: Volkswagen, Service, American, P Global Mobility, VW, Stellantis, Group, Tesla, North, EV Locations: America

☆ Germany's Volkswagen shares tumble after margin downgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of German carmaker Volkswagen is seen on a rim cap in a showroom of a Volkswagen car dealer in Brussels, Belgium July 9, 2020. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 23 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) shares fell to their lowest since April 2020 on Monday after the German carmaker cut its profit margin outlook for the current year, disappointing some investors. Volkswagen kept its outlook for deliveries and sales. Volkswagen shares fell 2.9% in Frankfurt by 0732 GMT, leading fallers across the European auto sector (.SXAP), which was down 0.5%. Reporting by Danilo Masoni, editing by Alun JohnOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francois Lenoir, Danilo Masoni, Alun John Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Frankfurt

[1/6] A used KIA EV6 electric car is seen for sale outside the showroom of a used car dealer in Manchester, Britain, October 19, 2023. But that is changing as companies rush to scale up EV battery tests - some of which take just minutes. "If the second-hand car market doesn't work properly, the new car market doesn't work properly and the electric transition won't happen," said Alex Johns, business development manager at Altelium, which says it has received interest from other markets including China. The race to properly value used EVs is becoming urgent because of a looming influx of vehicles. "People just want less risk," when buying a used EV, said Battery Quick Check managing director Katharina Alamo Alonso.

Persons: Phil Noble, EVs, Alex Johns, Marcus Berger, Berger, Tesla, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Eldar Vagabov, Michael Willvonseder, Willvonseder, Scott Case, Case, Katharina Alamo Alonso, Nick Carey, Paul Lienert, Ben Klayman, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, EV, Volkswagen, Deutsche, Mobility, Cox Automotive, Wiener, Owners, TUV Rheinland, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, DETROIT, U.S, Altelium, China, Austrian, Germany, Atlanta, Manheim, Europe, Wiener Neustadt, Vienna, Seattle

☆ West’s latest China corporate risk: medical graft
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An employee wearing a face mask is seen at a workshop of computed tomography (CT) scanners of medical device firm Siemens Healthineers in Shanghai, China, February 24, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China corporate risk has spread to Western medical device companies. According to BMI analysts, about two-thirds of Chinese medical devices used by local hospitals and clinics are imported from Western groups. That implies a direct hit to the order and revenue growth for medical device firms. Domestic brands, which have historically lagged in the advanced end of the medical device market, took the whole of last decade just to hike their share from around 20% to 30%, Deloitte says.

Persons: Aly, Philips, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Siemens, REUTERS, Reuters, Volkswagen, Philips, GE Healthcare, BMI, National Health Commission, Siemens Healthineers, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Deloitte, GE, Healthineers, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, People’s Republic, Beijing, United States

☆ I drove electric SUVs from Tesla and Mercedes-Benz. Here's how they stack up and which I'd buy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I drove the Tesla Model Y and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV to see how they compare. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I recently tested the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, a fancy family hauler similar in size to Tesla's Model Y, which I spent some time with a while back. The Tesla provides a more spartan cabin, a more engaging driving experience, and some cool tech, if that's what you're into.

Persons: Tesla, Mercedes, —, Elon, EVs — Organizations: Elon Musk's, Tesla, Benz, Service, Volkswagen, Toyota, Tesla's

☆ Consumers can now find huge discounts on electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Thanks to growing competition in the market, and some reticence from consumers, automakers and car dealers are offering huge discounts on electric vehicles, particularly luxury models. In September 2022, the average electric vehicle purchased in the United States, excluding Teslas, went for about $1,500 over sticker price. (Remember, for most new vehicles, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or sticker price, is just a suggestion, with the final selling price usually higher or lower.) In sheer dollars, the average price paid for a non-Tesla electric vehicle actually went up slightly over the past year. A couple looks at a Volkswagen ID.4 electric vehicle while shopping at a new car dealership.

Persons: Joseph Yoon, Pat Ryan, ” Ryan, Michael Nagle, Tesla, It’s, Yoon, Alison Flores, “, Edmunds, Charles Krupa Organizations: CNN, Edmunds, Nissan, New York, Bloomberg, Getty, Tesla, Teslas, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Volvo, Tax, H, AP Locations: Edmunds, United States, That’s

[1/2] Graphite powder, used for battery paste, is pictured in a Volkswagen pilot line for battery cell production in Salzgitter, Germany, May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - As China moved to control some exports of key battery mineral graphite on Friday, miners elsewhere face a race against time to bring new projects to fruition to secure supplies for the next generation of electric vehicles. To stay ahead in a fast-changing industry, carmakers have been investing directly in mining projects to ensure future supplies of the battery inputs. "We see China's move as a potential catalyst to highlight the urgency of improving domestic graphite supply," said John DeMaio, president of Graphex's graphene division. "We've aligned ourselves with several graphite miners outside of China.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Hugues Jacquemin, China's, John DeMaio, DeMaio, Stefan Bernstein, Graphite's Jacquemin, Shishir Poddar, Nelson Banya, Clara Denina, Divya Rajagopal, Ernest Scheyder, Veronica Brown, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Graphex, HK, EV, GreenRoc, Thomson Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, China, Warren , Michigan, Greenland, Northern, Tirupati, Madagascar, Mozambique

China's decision may escalate trade disputes globally and spur other countries to prioritize research into alternative sources and materials, industry executives said. "We see China's move as a potential catalyst to highlight the urgency of improving (U.S.) graphite supply," said John DeMaio, president of Graphex Group's (6128.HK) graphene division. It has graphite supply deals with Syrah Resources (SYR.AX) and is looking for other sources, DeMaio said. Synthetic graphite could account for nearly two-thirds of the EV battery anode market by 2025, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates. Chief Operating Officer Hans Erik Vatne told Reuters recently that developing synthetic graphite production is costly, but that is the price to pay to reduce reliance on China.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, John DeMaio, Graphex Group's, DeMaio, Tesla, Hans Erik Vatne, Rob Anstey, Alvin Liu, Akash Sriram, Ernest SCheyder, Nick Carey, Christina Amann, Marie Mannes, Gilles Guillaume, Ilona Wissenbach, Ben Klayman, Josie Kao Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, Mineral Intelligence, Reuters, EVs, BMO Capital Markets, BMW, Volvo, Renault, General Motors, Ford, Thomson Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, China, Warren , Michigan, West, U.S, Europe, Oslo, Norway, Bengaluru, Houston, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Paris, Frankfurt

☆ Volkswagen cuts profit outlook on raw material hedges hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Volkswagen logo is pictured at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Volkswagen AG FollowFRANKFURT, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Friday cut its profit outlook for the current year due to negative effects from raw materials hedges at the end of the third quarter, Europe's largest carmaker said. The company said it no longer expected an operating return on sales between 7.5%-8.5%, and that its operating result before special items was now seen at the prior year level of 22.5 billion euros ($23.8 billion). ($1 = 0.9446 euros)Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Christoph Steitz, Jan Harvey Organizations: New York, REUTERS, FRANKFURT, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S

☆ China’s graphite curbs send green warning shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Global demand for graphite, seen at 770,000 tonnes this year, is expected to treble by 2033, according to estimates by Fastmarkets graphite analyst Georgi Georgiev. China currently accounts for 64% of the global production of natural graphite and more than half of the artificial equivalent. More importantly, the People’s Republic refines more than 90% of the graphite into high-purity material used in EV batteries. This echoes the approach China used earlier this year to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two metals used in chips and fibre optic cables, triggering a fall in international shipments. Mining graphite in Europe, which wants to lead in EV adoption, is simply more expensive, says Aiden Lavelle, CEO of miner European Green Metals.

Persons: Georgi Georgiev, Aiden Lavelle, Carmakers, Una Galani, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, People’s, EV, Shanghai Putailai, Energy Technology, Metals, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Republic, Shanghai, Finland, Sweden, Beijing, Western, Europe, U.S

☆ The auto industry overestimated EV demand this year. Now companies are scrambling.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The EV segment has enjoyed a long period of exponential growth. AdvertisementAdvertisementCar companies talk a big game about the transition to electric cars. He currently has enough electric cars to last for 100 days across all brands. Though the EV share of some automakers' businesses is small, the EV segment has been enjoying a long period of exponential growth. And without more affordable options, dealers told Insider they are running out of customers to pitch their electric cars to.

Persons: carmakers, EVs, —, Ford, General Motors, it's, It's, Vince Sheehy, " Sheehy, Cameron Johnson, Sheehy, Tesla, Eric Freshee, Stewart Stropp, Power, Stropp, Martin French Organizations: Service, General, Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, GMC, Magic City Auto Group, ICE, EV, Tamaroff Locations: Volta, Washington, D.C, Virginia, headwinds, Midwest, EVs

Oct 20 (Reuters) - New car sales in the European Union rose 9.2% in September, helped by a jump in sales of electric and hybrid vehicles, which together accounted for more than half of car sales last month, industry data showed on Friday. Together, fully-electric cars, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids accounted for just over 50% of sales, the data showed. As recently as 2015, diesel vehicles comprised more than 50% of new car sales in the EU. Car sales in Europe have been steadily recovering from pandemic-related supply chain problems, most notably a global shortage of semiconductor chips. Despite 14 straight months of growth, car sales for the first nine months of 2023 remain 20% below the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Persons: Miranda Murray, Matthias Williams, Susan Fenton Organizations: Union, European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Diesel, Volkswagen, Renault, European Free Trade Association, Thomson Locations: Europe, EU, Britain

☆ Toyota’s electric cars will adopt Tesla’s charging standard
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Toyota has joined the growing list of automakers that have decided to switch to using Tesla’s charging standard. Beginning in 2025 all Toyota electric vehicles sold in the US will have charging ports designed to work with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), rather than the Combined Charging System plugs automakers in the US now use. Toyota’s announcement means that all of America’s best-selling automakers — Toyota ranks second only to General Motors in US sales — have agreed to switch to Tesla’s standard in the next few years. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk announced in November of last year that he was inviting other automakers and charging companies to adopt Tesla’s NACS. Major charging companies have announced they will offer both types of cables to service electric vehicles with either type of charging port.

Persons: Toyota's, NATHAN LEACH, Elon Musk, Ford, Tesla, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Toyota, — Toyota, General Motors, GM, Benz, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, EV, CCS, Ford, Chrysler, Fiat, Volkswagen, Mazda, Subaru Locations: EVs, America

Volkswagen logo is pictured at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Now expects operating profit margin on sales of 7.0%-7.3%Keeps outlook for sales, deliveriesTo publish final Q3 results on Oct. 26FRANKFURT, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) cut its profit margin outlook for the current year on Friday, blaming negative effects from raw materials hedges at the end of the third quarter. Volkswagen kept its outlook for deliveries and sales, still expecting to hand between 9 million and 9.5 million vehicles to clients this year, while sales are forecast to grow by 10% to 15%. The carmaker, which is due to release full quarterly figures on Oct. 26, said third-quarter sales grew 12% to 78.8 billion euros, while operating profit was up around 14% at 4.9 billion. Volkswagen's controlling shareholder, Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE), specified its 2023 outlook following Volkswagen's warning and now expects group profit after tax in the lower half of the 4.5 billion euro to 6.5 billion euro forecast range.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Bernstein, Christoph Steitz, Ilona Wissenbach, Jan Harvey, Rod Nickel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: New York, REUTERS, Volkswagen, Porsche, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, FRANKFURT, Frankfurt, Slovenia

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition unveiled in July a strategy toward de-risking Germany's economic relationship with China, calling Beijing a "partner, competitor and systemic rival". German investment in Asia excluding China is rising as a share of overall investment. "No company is going to say that it will leave China," said Sandra Ebner, senior economist at Union Investment, Germany's second-largest fund manager. "But what companies are increasingly doing is to produce in China for China and to position themselves around China for the remaining Asian or global market." In July, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck travelled to India with a delegation of executives to discuss opportunities for German companies.

Persons: Thomas Nuernberger, Nuernberger, Olaf Scholz's, Volker Treier, Munk, Ferdinand Munk, Scholz, Angela Merkel's, Martin Brudermueller, Max Zenglein, Juergen Matthes, Markus Horn, Matthias Bianchi, Joe Biden, Wolfgang Niedermark, Jan Roennfeld, Roennfeld, Sandra Ebner, BDI's Niedermark, Robert Habeck, Christoph Steitz, Sarah Marsh, Maria Martinez, Aditya Kalra, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Xinghui, Orathai, Brenda Goh Organizations: Reuters, Commerce and Industry, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, BASF, IW Institute, Big, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Economic Institute, Horn, German Association of, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Union Investment, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, BERLIN, Berlin, Beijing, China, Taiwan, India, Asia, Germany, Europe, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, South China, European, Thailand, United States, Mexico, Indonesian, Eastern Germany, Malaysia, Frankfurt, New Delhi, Xinghui Kok, Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai

☆ Country Garden founder Yeung, the tycoon who called himself 'dumb'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Born into a peasant family in rural China, Yeung Kwok Keung's rags-to-riches tale inspired millions across the country until his Country Garden (2007.HK) empire spiralled into crisis this year. On his home turf, Yeung and his company had many nicknames, among them "The most grassroots tycoon" and the "Universe's No.1 property developer". Born in 1955, Yeung founded Country Garden along with four others in 1992, quickly building its scale across China and transforming it into a household name by the early 2000s. Focusing on less popular, smaller cities in the world's second-largest economy was what made Country Garden successful, as the world's second-largest economy urbanised. In a company statement in August, Yeung spelt out a number of attributes that he said make "The Country Garden that I dream of", some of which will be key amid the crippling cash crisis.

Persons: Yeung Kwok, Yeung, Wu Jianbin, Yeung's, Yang Huiyan, Clare Jim, Dorothy Kam, Anne Marie Roantree Organizations: Xinhua, Volkswagen, China Evergrande, HK, Forbes, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, HK, Foshan, Guangdong, Xinhua

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn says it's 'way too late' to chase dominance in cutting-edge chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowApple iPhone supplier Foxconn , officially known as Hon Hai, said its semiconductor strategy is to focus on producing "specialty chips" — not competing in cutting-edge chips. We focus more on specialty technology," Chiang Shang-Yi, chief strategy officer for semiconductor at Hon Hai Technology Group, told CNBC's Emily Tan on Tuesday. Specialty chips are known as semiconductors found in sectors such as automotive and internet of things. And we call it specialty technology – that is not late at all," said Chiang. Chiang Shang-Yi Chief strategy officer for semiconductor"Sometimes we may have to build their cars by their drawings.

Persons: Hai, Chiang Shang, Yi, Emily Tan, Taiwan's, Chiang, Jun Seki, Hai's, Foxconn, Foxtron, – Tesla, Volkswagen –, Young Liu, Liu Organizations: Apple, Hai Technology Group, Samsung, Hai Technology, Yulon, Reuters, CNBC, Volkswagen, Research, Vedanta Locations: South, Foxconn, China, Europe, U.S, India, Karnataka, Beijing, Washington

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