Mercedes First Quarter Profit Beats Analyst Expectations

MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG reported a first-quarter operating profit of 1.9 billion euros ($2.22 billion), a 17% decline from the previous year. The result exceeded the 1.6 billion euro average analyst estimate compiled by Visible Alpha. Investors are monitoring the carmaker's ability to protect margins as demand softens in China.

### Beating the Forecast Floor Reuters reported Wednesday that the Germany-based automaker's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell 17% year-on-year. Despite the drop, the 1.9 billion euro figure outperformed market forecasts by 300 million euros.