WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX) - The Volkswagen Group was able to expand its profit in its current business last year, according to initial key data. However, noticeable consequences of the supply crisis for raw materials and ongoing problems in the supply chains continued to show. Extensive financial resources remained tied up as a result, for example in inventories or in certain operating materials.

As the Wolfsburg-based company announced on Tuesday evening on the basis of preliminary figures, operating profit in 2022 before special items increased from just over 20 billion euros in the previous year to 22.5 billion euros. The increase was thus significantly lower than from 2020 to 2021 - but the expected return was in line with expectations, it said. It is expected to be around 8.1 percent, compared with 8.0 percent in 2021.

VW did not yet name its bottom-line profit. Europe's largest car group reportedly increased its sales from 250.2 billion to 279 billion euros. Higher prices are also likely to be a reason, as overall sales fell.

The net inflow of free cash - known as cash flow - fell short of the mark targeted by management: after around 8.6 billion euros in 2021, there was ultimately only around 5 billion euros in 2022 - the target had been the previous year's level. The company cited "the unstable supply situation and disruptions in the logistics chains, particularly at the end of the year" as reasons for this./jap/DP/ngu