Daimler CEO sees dynamic start into 2011: report

Dieter Zetsche, chief executive of German carmaker Daimler (DAIGn.DE), sees his company starting dynamically next year, he was quoted by a German paper in an interview published on Sunday.

Zetsche told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitungs that business in December went well. Asked whether that would continue in the new year he said: "We do expect that. Our expectations for the first half are holding up quite well."

The company has so far given no outlook for 2011.

According to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, Daimler's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) are expected to rise to 8.1 billion euros ($10.78 billion) in 2011, up from an expected 7.3 billion this year.

Daimler said it expects 2010 EBIT of more than 7.0 billion euros.