There are many brands and companies, which appear in the market for a few years and quietly disappear soon after they have to deal with some downfall and tough times. However, there are those brands, which going through all times remain stable and growing, conquering the market and holding up as an example of endurance and victory. Today, the BMW group is one of the most popular and favorite costumers' automobile brands and one of the last and largest independent car manufacturers in the world.
Founded back in 1913 in Munich, today the BMW group has offices in many different countries and regions of the world, such as Asia, Australia, Africa, the Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America. Throughout its long history the BMW group had many records both of a tremendous success and of some downfall times. Nevertheless, the BMW group is presently on the peak of its development, and this future oriented company has still even more brilliant prospective to look for.
In spite of such negative factors as currency effects and high raw material prices, the year 2005 was one of the most successful for the BMW group. Its retail volumes have increased by nine point nine percent compared to the year of 2004. Nevertheless, the year 2006 promises to be even more successful and efficient for this company. Already the first activities of this year show that the BMW group will have a tremendous retail volume increase, business development and growth in the year of 2006. The first quarter retail results notify that in the year of 2006 the BMW group has surpassed its previous history of records by selling over three hundred and thirty two thousand nine hundred and twenty three MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles. This, in spite of some negative factors, which have only intensified during this year, surpasses the BMW group activities over the same period of time of the year of 2005 by some thirteen point nine percent.
Moreover, the pre-tax profits of BMW group in the year of 2006 have already risen by some fifty seven percent and, as a result of this, the company Board of Management and the Supervisory Board have made a decision to raise the level of the dividend. Thus, the BMW AG's profit of four hundred and twenty four million euro, presently available for the distribution, will be used to pay a dividend of point sixty four euro per common share. This is some three point two percent more than the last year dividend. In addition, the year 2006 will also be notable for BMW UK return to the Britain International Motor Show, which takes place every July. It will happen after the two years of absence and the company will attend this show and expose its BMW, Rolls-Royce and MINI vehicles.
However, BMW group never stops at improving its business performances and setting up long term, high and ambitious business goals, positioning itself as one of the largest international car manufacturing and retail company, the BMW group has determined to practically double its retailing volumes over ten years and to come up with supplying their consumers with over one thousand and six hundred million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles in the year of 2010.