• Sweden edition
Business & Money

Volvo Trucks to refine performance indicators

Published: 22 Sep 11 12:14 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/36300/20110922/

Sweden's Volvo Group, the world's second-largest truck maker, announced on Thursday plans to begin using new financial targets measuring not only growth but also how it fares against key competitors.

"This new method of measuring the performance of our business areas and the new targets enable us to annually implement a distinct benchmarking of our operations in relation to the competition," Volvo chairman Louis Schweitzer said in a statement.

The company said it next year would replace the financial targets adopted in 2006, calling among other things for 10-percent annual sales increases and operating margins of seven percent or more, with a system mainly comparing its performance to its main competitors.

"The annual organic sales growth for the truck, bus and construction equipment, as well as Volvo Penta, shall be equal to or exceed a weighted-average for comparable competitors," was the top item on its list.

As for margins, they should now for all its businesses "be ranked among the top two companies when benchmarked against relevant competitors," Volvo said.

The Swedish company meanwhile said it would maintain its 12-15 percent return of equity target and still aimed for an annual equity to assets ratio of over eight percent.

It also said it would stand by its target that net debt not exceed 40 percent of shareholder equity under normal conditions.

Swedbank analyst Niclas Höglund described the new targets as a bit "vague," but told Dow Jones Newswires that "when you look at what they are really trying to say, it's still a pretty strong signal."

The new sales target of equal to or above the average of comparable competitors was on the low side, but nothing markets should be too concerned about, he said.

Following the announcement, the company saw its stock price slump 2.69 percent to 70.50 kronor per share in early trading on a Stockholm stock exchange down 2.66 percent.

AFP/The Local (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Business & Money headlines
Solna voted best place to live in Sweden

Solna voted best place to live in Sweden

Solna, a suburb just north of Stockholm, is the best place to live in Sweden, according to a new ranking published on Friday by Swedish news magazine Fokus. READ () »

Ikea founder rated fifth richest in the world

Ikea founder rated fifth richest in the world

Ingrad Kamprad, the founder of Swedish furniture giant Ikea, finished fifth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index published on Friday, with an estimated fortune of $55.6 billion. READ () »

LinkedIn profile lands Swede with hefty tax bill

LinkedIn profile lands Swede with hefty tax bill

A Swedish man is facing a five-million kronor ($750,000) add-on to his tax bill after the authorities took a proper look at his account on the professional networking site LinkedIn. READ () »

India in no rush to open first Ikea store

India in no rush to open first Ikea store

The first Ikea store to open in India may not be ready for years, with the India head of the Swedish furniture giant prepared to wait until the the perfect location is found for the first of the 25 planned stores. READ () »

H&M CEO to Bangladesh: raise minimum wages

H&M CEO to Bangladesh: raise minimum wages

H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson has urged Bangladesh to raise its minimum wage, adding the Swedish fashion giant is "willing to pay more" in the wake of a garment industry disaster which killed more than 1,100 people. READ () »

Pensioners to recruit ageing Swedish rockers

Pensioners to recruit ageing Swedish rockers

The Swedish Pensioners Association wants to cast off its "stuffy" image at the Sweden Rock festival, in a recruitment bid to set up a rock music subgroup of new members. READ () »

Sweden plummets in income equality ranking

Sweden plummets in income equality ranking

The living conditions of most Swedes have improved in recent decades, but income inequality is growing rapidly, according to a new OECD report, which saw Sweden drop 14 spots from its first place ranking in 1995. READ () »

Swedish shop hits back: our Converse are real

Swedish shop hits back: our Converse are real

Swedish retailer Coop has refuted complaints by US sneaker brand Converse that Coop stores are selling unauthorized pirated copies of the iconic footwear. READ () »

Sweden housing crunch
Young Swedes forced to live with mum and dad

Young Swedes forced to live with mum and dad

More than half of Swedes in their twenties are stuck living at home with their parents in major metropolitan areas, with observers blaming politicians for abdicating any responsibility for dealing with lack of housing. READ () »

Converse in bid to ban 'fake' shoes in Sweden

Converse in bid to ban 'fake' shoes in Sweden

Legendary US sneaker brand Converse has asked a Swedish court for permission to search outlets of Swedish retail chain Coop in a bid to clear near-perfect pirated copies of the iconic shoes off the shelves. READ () »

More Business & Money

Find a new job in Sweden now
19/05 Account Manager Sweden
Sollentuna
19/05 Lead Software Engineer, Environment
Linköping
19/05 Management Consultant to Global Business Services Advisory Services with Shared Services and Outsourcing Advisory experience
Stockholm
19/05 Manager for Application Management
Stockholm
19/05 Manger Intern Sales & Customer Service
Thule Group
SKÅ
19/05 Nordic Sales Executive Platform Computing
Kista
19/05 Quality Engineer
Stockholm
19/05 Senior Consultant
Stockholm
19/05 TCMS Software Engineer
Västerås
18/05 C++ Developer
Stockholm

ALL JOBS »


 
Latest Business & Money news from Germany
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Holiday Luxury Villa in Portugal
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS