FRANKFURT, April 24 (Reuters) - German automaker DaimlerChrysler AG said on Thursday its first quarter operating profit rose 38 percent to 1.4 billion euros ($1.53 billion) from a year ago, beating market expectations. The company said it would be difficult to meet its 2003 operating profit target of $2 billion for its U.S. Chrysler unit, still in the midst of a turnaround plan, and warned that group revenues would fall to around 145 billion euros.
A Reuters poll of 25 analysts put average operating profit for the first quarterd at 1.189 billion euros, up from 1.017 billion a year ago but the range of forecasts was wide.
The world's fifth largest automaker, which faces declining demand for vehicles in its main markets and pricing pressure, said it still aimed to raise its operating profit this year from last year's level provided no extraordinary circumstances arose.