Daimler earnings plunge as coronavirus hammers vehicle sales, production

(Reuters) - Daimler AG said on Thursday it expected to report a near 70% plunge in a key first-quarter earnings figure and 2020 industrial free cash flow to fall, as customers shunned Mercedes-Benz car showrooms amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.The forecast provides further evidence of the financial damage inflicted by the pandemic on the auto market, as global vehicle sales and production get pummelled by tight restrictions governments have had to impose on business activity and the..