MAN SE, Europe's third-biggest truck maker, aims to keep operating profit in 2010 at par with the last year as Latin American business expands and the company cuts spending on labor. A dividend of 25 cents a share will be paid by MAN, Chief Financial Officer Frank Lutz told today at a news conference in Munich.

The net loss in 2009 was 270 million Euros, compared with net income of 1.23 billion Euros, or 8.39 Euros, in 2008. Sales knocked down by 20% to 12 billion Euros. Group orders in the quarter went up 35% to 2.64 billion Euros, holding back the full-year turn down in new business to 30%.

Lutz said that the company aims for at least 500 million Euros in free cash flow this year. European market has "leveled off" following the drop last year, while industry wide Asian sales showed "some degree" of recovery, Scania said on February 3.

Volkswagen, which is the dominant shareholder at both MAN and Scania, planned to forge a European truck alliance.