Outlook 2004
During the first quarter of 2004, light vehicle production in the Triad is
expected to be almost flat with a small decline in Europe. Currency effects
are expected to add 11% to revenues (provided that the mid-January exchange
rates prevail), and acquisitions another 3%. Based on these assumptions, sales
would grow in the region of 15% in the first quarter, a level which Autoliv
expects to exceed slightly.
Mainly due to the expected sales performance and Autoliv's continued
cost-savings program, the Company expects its operating margin in the first
quarter this year to slightly exceed the level recorded in the first quarter
of 2003.
The Company expects Autoliv's effective tax rate to be approximately
32% with the potential of being somewhat lower in 2004.
However, the U.S. Congress is continuing to assess alternatives
for a replacement of the controversial U.S. Extraterritorial Income ("ETI")
regime and is expected to enact legislation in 2004. If ETI is repealed and
replacement legislation is not enacted, the annual effect on the Company's effective
rate would be an increase of between one and two percentage points.