Overview

The financial performance measures used at Daimler are oriented towards our investors’ interests and expectations, and provide the foundation for our value-based management.

Value added. For purposes of performance measurement, Daimler differentiates between Group level and divisional level. Value added is one element of the performance measurement system at both levels and is calculated as the difference between the operating result and the cost of capital of the average net assets in that period.

Alternatively, the value added of the industrial divisions can be determined by using the main value drivers: return on sales (ROS, quotient of EBIT and revenue) and net assets productivity (quotient of revenue and net assets).

The use of ROS and net assets productivity within the context of a revenue growth strategy provides the basis for a positive development of value added. Value added shows to which extent the Group and its divisions achieve or exceed the minimum return requirements of the shareholders and creditors, thus creating additional value.

Profit measure. The measure of operating profit at divisional level is EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes). EBIT is calculated before interest and income taxes, and hence reflects the divisions’ profit and loss responsibility. The operating profit measure used at Group level is net operating profit. It comprises the EBIT of the divisions as well as profit and loss effects that the divisions are not held responsible for, including income taxes and other reconciliation items.

Net assets. Net assets represent the basis for the investors’ required return. The industrial divisions are accountable for the net operating assets; all assets, liabilities and provisions which they are responsible for in day-to-day operations are therefore allocated to them. Performance measurement at Daimler Financial Services is on an equity basis, in line with the usual practice in the banking business. Net assets at Group level include the net assets of the industrial divisions and the equity of Daimler Financial Services, as well as income taxes and other reconciliation items for which the divisions are not held accountable. Average annual net assets are calculated from average quarterly net assets, which are calculated as the average of net assets at the beginning and the end of each quarter.

Cost of capital. The required rate of return on net assets and hence the cost of capital is derived from the minimum rates of return that investors expect on their invested capital. The cost of capital of the Group and the industrial divisions comprises the cost of equity as well as the costs of debt and pension obligations of the industrial business; the expected returns on liquidity and plan assets of the pension funds of the industrial business are considered with the opposite sign.

The cost of equity is calculated according to the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), using the interest rate for long-term risk-free securities (such as German government bonds) plus a risk premium reflecting the specific risks of an investment in Daimler shares. The cost of debt is derived from the required rate of return for obligations entered into by the Group with external lenders. The cost of capital for pension obligations is calculated on the basis of discount rates used in accordance with IFRS. The expected return on liquidity is based on money market interest rates. The expected return on the plan assets of the pension funds is derived from the expected interest, dividends and other income generated by the plan assets invested to cover the pension obligations. The Group’s cost of capital is the weighted average of the individually required or expected rates of return; in the reporting period, the cost of capital amounted to 8% after taxes. For the industrial divisions, the cost of capital amounted to 12% before taxes; for Daimler Financial Services, a cost of equity of 13% before taxes was applied.

Return on sales. As one of the main drivers of value added, return on sales (ROS) is of particular importance for assessing the industrial divisions’ profitability. The profitability measure for Daimler Financial Services is not ROS, but return on equity (ROE), in line with the usual practice in the banking business.