Analyze the sentiment of this statement extracted from a financial news article. Provide your answer as either negative, positive, or neutral.
Text: Operating profit excluding non-recurring items decreased to EUR 6.2 mn from EUR 16.8 mn in 2007 , representing 2.3 % of net sales .
Answer:
Operating profit excluding non-recurring items decreased to EUR 6.2 mn from EUR 16.8 mn in 2007 , representing 2.3 % of net sales .