LÜBECK (dpa-AFX) - After a difficult year, the medical and safety technology group Drägerwerk is aiming for more sales and a return to operating profit. In the current year, sales are expected to increase by 5.5 to 9.5 percent, following a significant setback in the previous year due to delivery problems. In terms of earnings before interest and taxes, the Lübeck-based company is aiming to return to profit, according to information released on Tuesday, with the corresponding operating margin expected to land between zero and three percent. Following the news, the Dräger share rose by 2.5 percent in a friendly market.

In October, the Dräger management had already cancelled its financial targets for the past year because they were no longer achievable. Especially in China, electronic parts were missing due to the formerly harsh Corona restrictions there. Based on the preliminary figures, sales fell by around 9 percent to 3.04 billion euros. Adjusted for currency effects, this would have been a drop of almost 12 percent - despite the increase in orders received. The problems in the supply chains also caused the slide into the red due to correspondingly less business; the loss before interest and taxes amounted to 87 million euros. A year earlier, Drägerwerk had still generated an operating profit of 271.7 million euros./men/stw