Bruce Harmon/Trans PixsVolvo AB’s fourth-quarter earnings fell, and the company predicted a “difficult” first quarter but said U.S. and European commercial-vehicle markets will likely recover later this year, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.
Volvo’s fourth-quarter operating profit fell 84% on declining deliveries and spending on a reorganization that included job cuts, Bloomberg said.
Net income fell 82% to $126.5 million, as sales slipped 17% to $10.8 billion. Gothenburg, Sweden-based Volvo reports its earnings in Swedish kronor.
Volvo, which makes Volvo and Mack brand trucks in North America, estimated this year’s North American truck market will be close to the 250,000 deliveries estimated for 2012.
Worldwide fourth-quarter deliveries fell 15% to 58,626 trucks, while orders dropped 9.6% to 52,145 vehicles.
