Mercedes-Benz shares rose by as much as 5.9% after the company reported stable second-quarter profit, driven by cost cuts and strong performance in its financial services and vans units. The German automaker's Q2 operating profit increased 22% to €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion), despite a 3% revenue decline. However, Mercedes-Benz cut its full-year sales and group revenue forecasts to a slight decline, citing a 30% slump in Q2 car sales in China and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals now targeting Europe.