JOST Werke SE, a leading manufacturer of safety-critical systems for commercial vehicles, announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2026, demonstrating continued strong growth and profitability. The company reported a 12.7% increase in revenue to EUR 440.2 million, driven by organic growth of 8.9% across all regions and business lines. Adjusted EBIT rose by 18.5% to EUR 43.9 million, with the margin improving to 10.0%, within the strategic profitability corridor. Group earnings after tax surged by 132% to EUR 15.9 million, while adjusted earnings after tax increased by 19% to EUR 24.6 million. Free cash flow improved significantly to EUR +17.3 million, and ROCE climbed to 16.3%, up 3.5 percentage points year-on-year. The leverage ratio improved to 1.81x, back within the target range of 1.0x to 2.0x.
The growth was broad-based, with all regions contributing positively. In EMEA, revenue grew by 9.5% to EUR 205.9 million, though adjusted EBIT margin dipped due to structural adjustments and higher costs. AMERICAS saw revenue rise by 17.1% to EUR 121.0 million, with adjusted EBIT up 42.3% and margin improving to 13.3%, driven by new customer wins and a better product mix. APAC revenue increased by 14.0% to EUR 113.3 million, with adjusted EBIT up 30.6% and margin at 15.7%, supported by strong demand in China and India.
CEO Joachim Dürr highlighted the quality of growth, noting that all regions and business lines contributed organically, reflecting market share gains and cross-selling synergies from the Hyva integration. He emphasized the company's ability to offset challenging market conditions in the USA through portfolio diversification. In the first half of 2026, JOST achieved its strongest half-year results in history, with revenue of EUR 857 million and adjusted EBIT of EUR 88 million.
CFO Oliver Gantzert commented on the efficient capital allocation, which has led to improved ROCE and a leverage ratio back in the target range, providing financial flexibility for future growth. He also noted a significant sequential improvement in free cash flow in the second quarter, despite ongoing supply chain challenges.
JOST confirmed its outlook for fiscal year 2026, expecting revenue growth in the single-digit percentage range and adjusted EBIT growth in the mid-to-upper single-digit percentage range, with an improved adjusted EBIT margin. The company remains cautious about potential impacts from geopolitical conflicts but currently sees no significant effects on customer demand.
For more details, the interim report is available at JOST's investor relations page. The company also provides further information on its website. The original press release can be viewed at NewMediaWire.
