(Reuters) — German premium automaker Mercedes-Benz (MBG.DE, MBGAF) on Friday said third-quarter earnings in the core car division plunged by 64%, massively missing analysts' estimates, as Chinese consumers continued to cut back on luxury goods in a weakening economy.
"The Q3 results do not meet our ambitions," CFO Harald Wilhelm said in a statement, adding that the group will step up cost cuts.
The July-September earnings were hit by model revamp costs as well as a tough market, especially for new versions of the G-Class SUV, which will roll out in the next quarter, Mercedes added.
It sees annual car sales slightly below the previous year, and fourth-quarter sales in line with the third quarter.
A rare bright spot in the results was the continued cash flow generation from the industrial business, which reached 2.39 billion euros ($2.59 billion) in the quarter, up 2% year-on-year.
Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in the car unit dropped to 1.2 billion euros versus LSEG's mean estimate of a 3.6% drop to 3.19 billion euros
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius has warned that Chinese consumers are extremely cautious about making big purchases, as long-standing economic weakness and by a local real estate crisis have created considerable uncertainty for consumers.
The luxury carmaker cut its full-year profit margin target twice during the third quarter, joining a growing number of European rivals blaming a weakening Chinese car market for falling profits and margins.
The results come as talks between Brussels and Beijing continue over looming tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs into Europe, a major headache for Europe's China-dependent car heavyweights due to the fears of potential retaliation.
Mercedes-Benz, which counts China's Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd and Geely Chair Li Shufu as its two top shareholders, has called the tariffs a "mistake", urging the European Commission to delay their implementation to allow further talks on a deal.
(Reporting by Andrey Sychev; Editing by Rachel More and Sonali Paul)