German retail giant Metro has reported an increase in net profit and sales for 2003 and said it reached its earnings growth target.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The company posted 2003 net profit of €571m (US$696.8m), a rise of 13.8% compared to the previous year. Earnings per share rose 12.0% to €1.52. Group sales rose 4.0% to €53.6bn.


“We have fully reached our objective of raising the earnings per share by 6-10% in fiscal 2003”, said CEO Dr. Hans-Joachim Körber. “This was achieved in spite of extraordinary expenses for the divestment of Divaco and therefore additionally documents the high operating performance of the Metro Group.”


Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 8.2% to €2.61bn. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) climbed 13.1% to €1.32bn.


“Despite the difficult overall situation 2003 was a good year for the Metro Group. We have managed to overcome the negative trend of our industry in many areas, including Germany,” said Körber.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact