HANOVER, Germany—Continental A.G. expects sales to rise about 5 percent to about $45.4 billion, at the current exchange rates, following a 7-percent increase in 2012 to $43.7 billion.
The tire and automotive parts maker said the adjusted earnings margin in 2012 was 10.7 percent compared to 10.1 percent in 2011.
Elmar Degenhart, chairman of Conti's executive board, said the indicators are more guarded for the global auto market for 2013 compared with a year earlier.
Degenhart said the German company expects global production of passenger cars with a gross weight of up to 6 metric tons will rise from about 80 million units in 2012 to a "mere" 82 million in 2013.
"We shall very likely not quite be able to hold to our tempo in the successful year 2012," he said.