FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group said its full-year operating profit rose 22 percent to 17 billion euros ($18.5 billion) in 2019, helped by strong sales of higher-margin cars including utility vehicles.
Sales revenue is expected to grow by up to 4 percent this year and deliveries to customers will be in line with the 2019 level of 10.98 million units, VW in a statement on Friday.
VW will propose a dividend of 6.50 euros per ordinary share, up from 4.80 euros in the year-earlier period.
VW said market share rose in almost all regions, resulting in the rise in operating profit to 16.9 billion euros, up from 13.9 billion euros in 2018.
VW forecast a group operating return on sales in the range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent in 2020 compared with 7.6 percent in 2019, but said this depends on the development of geopolitical tensions and conflicts as well as epidemics including the coronavirus.
In the U.S., VW sales in 2019 improved 2.4 percent to 653,813 light vehicles in a market that fell 1.2 percent overall. Those figures include the VW brand, Audi, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini.
