Daimler will skip a dividend for 2009 results after sliding to a in-line 1.51 billion euro ($2.05 billion) loss before interest and tax, the German carmaker and world's biggest truckmaker said.

This decision is solely a reflection of the course of business in 2009 and is not related to the group's expected business development this year, it said, forecasting group 2010 earnings before interest and tax would surpass 2.3 billion.

Its shares fell more than 8 percent by 0914 GMT.

(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner, Editing by Michael Shields)

Daimler AG