(Reuters) -German fashion group Hugo Boss on Tuesday said sales and operating profit in the current year would be at the lower end of its guidance and reported lower-than-expected third quarter sales.

The group's sales fell 4% to 989 million euros ($1.15 billion) in the third quarter, hit by a weaker U.S. dollar. That was below analysts' forecast of 1.01 billion euros in a company-provided poll.

Excluding the impact of currency changes, sales fell 1%, dragged by lower revenues in its key markets China and Britain. That weakness outweighed improvements in Germany, France and the U.S., it said.

Hugo Boss said it expected group sales and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) this year to come at the lower end of its target ranges of between 4.2 billion and 4.4 billion euros for sales and between 380 million and 440 million euros for operating profit. It cited "heightened macroeconomic volatility" and negative currency impacts.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)