Mercedes 2003 Annual Report Download - page 113
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The Supervisory Board DaimlerChrysler AG:
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets
of DaimlerChrysler AG and subsidiaries (“DaimlerChrysler”) as of
December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the related consolidated state-
ments of income (loss), changes in stockholders' equity, and cash
flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2003. These consolidated financial statements are
the responsibility of DaimlerChrysler's management. Our responsi-
bility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial
statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards in the United States of America. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the
financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable
basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to
above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position
of DaimlerChrysler as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the
results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the
years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2003, in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States of America.
As described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements,
DaimlerChrysler changed its method of accounting for stock-based
compensation in 2003. As described in Notes 1, 2 and 11 to the
consolidated financial statements, DaimlerChrysler also adopted
the required portions of FASB Interpretation No. 46 (revised
December 2003), “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities – an
interpretation of ARB No. 51”, in 2003. As described in Note 11 to
the consolidated financial statements, DaimlerChrysler adopted
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, “Goodwill
and Other Intangible Assets,” in 2002.
Stuttgart, Germany
February 18, 2004
KPMG Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft
Aktiengesellschaft
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Wiedmann Krauß
Wirtschaftsprüfer Wirtschaftsprüfer
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