While markets were surprised by the German-American automaker's preview of its annual data ahead of an official announcement set for later this month, the figures were in line with analysts' expectations, given Chrysler's woes in recent months. No quarterly figures were released Wednesday.

DaimlerChrysler said net earnings rose 37 percent last year compared to 1999, but its operating profit of $9.1 billion was down 11 percent. After taxes and interest, the net profit came out to $7.3 billion off of $151 billion in sales, an 8 percent increase.

With one-time gains factored out, 2000 operating profit plummeted 49 percent to $4.8 billion, and net profit 44 percent to $3.25 billion, the company said. Those gains last year included the sale of a majority stake in the company's services arm, debis Systemhaus, to German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom.

DaimlerChrysler's share value has plunged by more than half since early 1999 shortly after the merger. Much of the decline stems from a $512 million third quarter loss at Chrysler last year and from expectations that Chrysler will post a fourth-quarter loss of more than $1 billion, due to a downturn in the U.S. auto market.

DaimlerChrysler has insisted it has no plans to spin off or sell Chrysler. But the drop in the company's value has triggered planned job cuts at Chrysler and speculation that DaimlerChrysler makes an attractive hostile takeover target by another major automaker.

Speculation grew last week when Deutsche Bank confirmed DaimlerChrysler had given the bank a mandate to prepare a defense strategy.

DaimlerChrysler's proposed dividend remains unchanged at $2.18, said the company, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany, and Auburn Hills, Mich.