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Empresas y finanzas

Airbus says group set for long-term growth


    BERLIN (Reuters) - Airbus sought to play down a warning on 2016 profit on Thursday, saying the group would grow earnings beyond that and that divestments would allow it to pay dividends even if investments in new planes hurt cashflow.

    AIRBUS (EAD.PA)shares plunged 10 percent on Wednesday after the group forecast flat earnings in 2016.

    "For 2016, it's not a guidance. We're at end of 2014, there's a lot of parameters, we are giving you a trend," chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm told investors at an event in London on Thursday.

    "The point is that there is a very clear evolution of programs and businesses and that shows growing EBIT and cash generation over the horizon to come," he said.

    He added that divestments as part of a portfolio shake-up would help net income and therefore the dividend.

    (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Kirsti Knolle)