The lower operating result led to a decrease in cash flow before capital changes from EUR 857.2 million to EUR 825.0 million. Taking the change in working capital into consideration, cash flows from operating activities amounted to EUR 731.2 million in comparison to EUR 293.5 million in the first three quarters of the preceding year; this represents a significant increase. After the deduction of EUR 532.1 million in cash flows from investing activities and taking into account cash flows from financing activities amounting to EUR –381.4 million (mainly loan repayments and dividends), the resulting change in cash and cash equivalents (without net exchange differences) amounts to EUR –182.3 million.