Lufthansa Beats Estimates with Q3 Profit Jump

**Lufthansa Posts 30% Profit Increase**

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ETR:LHA) posted its third-quarter earnings results today, 31 October 2012. Despite a strike and higher fuel prices which have hit the German aviation group during the period,
Lufthansa reported a net profit increase of more than 30 per cent, to €642 million (£517 million), from €494 million (£398 million) in the third quarter of 2011. Profits per share rose to €1.40, from €1.08 in the comparable period the previous year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to €1.32 billion (£1.06 billion) this quarter, a 13.4 per cent increase from 1.16 billion (£934.69 million) a year earlier. Total revenue also rose 6.2 per cent to €8.31 billion (£6.69 billion), from €7.83 billion (£6.30 billion) compared to the same period last year.

**Q3 Results Beat Estimates**
!m[](/uploads/story/682/thumbs/pic1_inline.png)Lufthansa’s quarterly earnings surprised analysts, some of who have been expecting a drop of as much as 40 per cent. The average estimate in a Reuters poll was for an operating profit of €479 million (£385 million) and a 5.2 per cent revenue increase to €8.22 billion (£6.62 billion).

**Full Year Forecast**
Despite the third-quarter earnings jump, Lufthansa stated today that it was still expecting a “moderate operating profit for the whole business year.” The aviation group reiterated its 2012 forecast that operating profit would be in the mid three-digit million euro range. That does not include restructuring costs, which it said it now expects to be no more than €100 million (£80.5 million) this year because talks with unions on some planned measures have been delayed.