BIETIGHEIM-BISSINGEN (dpa-AFX) - The mechanical engineering company Dürr will grow less strongly this year than previously assumed. The management is aiming for sales of between 4.7 and 5.0 billion euros in 2024, which corresponds to growth of 2 to 8 percent, as the company announced on Tuesday in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since mid-October, the management had assumed an increase in turnover of between 5 and 10 percent. Experts at analyst firms and banks surveyed by the company expect average revenues of 4.9 billion euros. The SDax group also largely met market expectations with its results last year.

Sales rose by 7.3% to over EUR 4.6 billion in 2023 compared to 2022, which is a record figure according to Dürr. The growth was driven by all business units, according to the press release. Before interest, taxes and special effects (adjusted EBIT), the company earned a good fifth more at 280.4 million euros. Including extraordinary expenses, however, the operating result fell. Profit after tax also fell, by around 18 percent to just over 110 million euros. The reason for this was the cost of job cuts at the Homag Group, in which Dürr bundles its woodworking business. As already announced, around 600 of almost 7500 jobs at Homag are to be cut, 350 of them in Germany.

Dürr will present the complete annual report with final figures on March 20./lew/mis