German arms maker Rheinmetall has seen continued growth in the first quarter thanks to a boom in demand in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Compared to the same period last year, sales rose by 16% to €1.58 billion ($1.7 billion), the company, which is listed on Germany’s Germany’s DAX index of blue-chip stocks, said on Tuesday. The operating result at Rheinmetall surged by 60% to €134 million, though analysts had been expecting even better results. The operating margin, meaning the ratio between the operating result and sales, stood at 8.5% at the start of the year. Rheinmetall con…