FRANKFURT, Dec 20 (Reuters) - German steel and engineering group ThyssenKrupp AG said on Friday it expected earnings to improve significantly in the current business year to September on the back of higher global demand for steel.
It gave no specific forecasts for 2002/03 but ThyssenKrupp Chief Executive Ekkehard Schulz said in a speech the company aimed for a pretax profit in 2003/04 of 1.5 billion euros.
The world's number four maker of flat carbon steel and a major producer of automotive parts said earlier this month pre-tax profit before minorities, excluding capital gains, had fallen 46 percent, in line with expectations, to 419 million euros ($431 million) in the year to the end of September.
Schulz also said it aimed to raise its dividend for 2002/03 from a proposed 0.4 euros for the year ended in September.