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UPDATE 1-Continental sees further growth after Q1 profit, sales rise

* Q1 sales up 14 pct to around 9.6 bln eur

* Adjusted EBIT around 1 bln euros vs 953 mln year ago

* Detailed results due May 7 (Adds earnings detail and background)

BERLIN, April 30 (Reuters) - German automotive supplier Continental expects earnings growth to accelerate this year after first-quarter profit and sales rose on Europe's strengthening car market.

Sales at the auto parts and tyre maker jumped 14 percent to around 9.6 billion euros ($10.66 billion), close to the top end of forecasts in a Reuters poll of analysts, Hanover-based Continental said on Thursday.

Adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose to around 1 billion euros from 953.1 million a year earlier, the company said, in line with forecasts.

"Our sales and earnings will continue to improve in the coming quarters," Chief Executive Elmar Degenhart said, citing growing demand for replacement tyres and improving car output.

"The start to the year was very encouraging."

Last month Continental raised its sales guidance, predicting revenue to grow almost 9 percent this year to about 37.5 billion euros including about 1.3 billion from the integration of Veyance Technologies.

The euro's weakening against the dollar could add an additional 1 billion euros to sales, Continental said on March 5.

Its adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin should come in above 10.5 percent this year, compared with 11.3 percent in 2014, it has said.

Continental, due to hold its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, had no comment on its outlook ahead of detailed quarterly results due on May 7.

($1 = 0.9002 euros) (Reporting by Andreas Cremer; editing by Kirsti Knolle and Jason Neely)