VW Group first-half profit rises 10% on higher VW brand, Porsche sales

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group’s first-half operating profit rose 10.3 percent to 9 billion euros ($10.02 billion), buoyed by sales of higher-margin SUVs and a jump in demand for Porsche vehicles. Higher demand for VW brand, Porsche and Skoda cars helped to offset a drop in Audi sales, VW Group said in a statement on Thursday. VW confirmed its outlook for the year and said its operating return on sales rose to 7.2 percent, up from 6.8 percent in the year-earlier period.