The company posted net earnings of SEK1.3bn (€145.3m, $188.6m), or SEK6.58 (€0.72, $0.90) a share, compared with SEK915m, or SEK4.57 a share, in the same period a year ago. According to the company, this increase was due in part to a 12% gain in quarterly bookings and 16% rise in deliveries to customers. Revenues rose 16% to SEK16.26bn kronor (€1.79bn, $2.3n), compared with SEK14bn in the same period a year ago, with strong demand from Eastern European customers.

For the year, the company, earned SEK4bn (€440.4m, $571.5m), compared with SEK3bn in 2003. Sales were up 12% to SEK56.78bn (€6.25bn, $8.1bn) from 50.58bn a year earlier. Scania said that its outlook for the rest of 2005 was stable, including "continued good development in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, but a weak economic development in Europe may affect the positive trend." The company also alluded to the uncertainty that now surrounds raw material prices, in particular steel.

Scania