Thyssenkrupp swings to loss as costs climb

By Christoph Steitz and Tom Käckenhoff

FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF (Reuters) -Thyssenkrupp swung to a quarterly net loss due to higher than expected costs for legacy projects and halted the sale of one of its businesses, underscoring the industrial group's restructuring challenges and sending its shares to a new low.

The German company, which cut its annual profit forecast for the third time last month, is struggling to sharpen the focus of its sprawling empire amid subdued demand.

In particular, it is in the midst of a conflict-ridden process to divest half of the shares in its steel division to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

Asked how Thyssenkrupp could regain investor confidence, new finance chief Jens Schulte said it needed to deliver higher profits and progress on restructuring.

The group, which also makes submarines and car parts, posted a net loss of 54 million euros ($59 million) for its fiscal third quarter, down from a profit of 83 million a year earlier, also blaming restructuring costs at its materials trading arm.

After trying to find a buyer for its Automation Engineering business for some time, Thyssenkrupp said it was halting the sale and exploring deeper restructuring measures for the division's powertrain unit.

"Strongly opposing market trends and one-time effects offset the progress made in the transformation of Thyssenkrupp in the third quarter," Schulte said, still hailing the group's quarterly performance given the numerous headwinds.

Shares in the company were down 3.6% at 0844 GMT, hitting a record low as it unveiled around 80 million euros of additional costs for past projects at its cement business that were not booked previously.

Thyssenkrupp is currently at odds with its steel division TKSE regarding the level of funding that is needed to ensure a standalone future, with TKSE Chairman Sigmar Gabriel saying last week that the two sides were 1.3 billion euros apart.

($1 = 0.9113 euros)

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff; Editing by Ludwig Burger and Mark Potter)