[BERLIN] Audi is sticking to profitability targets, though its quarterly operating margin fell behind that of German rival Mercedes-Benz as declining sales in China as well as costs of new models and plants weighed on results. Volkswagen's flagship luxury division said on Monday it still expects a return on sales of 8-10 per cent this year after the benchmark slid to the bottom end of the range between July and September from 9.2 per cent a year ago. Separately, Audi said it "could experience changes affecting the organisational and economic business process" as a result of the emissions scandal at parent VW, which reported results last Wednesday. An Audi spokesman said orders and sales were stable, declining to elaborate. Mercedes-Benz, which eclipsed Audi in global sales in the first nine months, reported a 10.5 per cent third-quarter margin for its luxury-cars division, helped by new model launches and surging Chinese sales, up from 8.5 per cent a year earlier.