Daimler Truck Raises 2026 Guidance on US Tariff Relief and Stronger North America Sales
Daimler Truck boosted its 2026 profit outlook after U.S. tariff relief and higher expected Trucks North America sales, despite Q2 earnings being hit by tariffs.
- €3.6–€4.1 billion
- €1.8 billion
- €838 million
- 35,379 (up 156%)
What Happened
Daimler Truck raised its full-year 2026 guidance after the U.S. Department of Commerce approved its U.S. Content application and the company lifted its expected Trucks North America unit sales. The group now expects adjusted EBIT of €3.6–€4.1 billion and an adjusted return on sales of 7–9%, up from €3.2–€3.7 billion and 6–8%. Management says Q2 profitability was still impacted by tariffs, but it marks the start of a positive trajectory that should accelerate in Q3.
- €3.6–€4.1B (was €3.2–€3.7B; 2025: €3.5B)
- 7–9% (was 6–8%; 2025: 7.9%)
- 340,000–370,000 (was 330,000–360,000; 2025: 315,000)
“Strong results at Trucks North America and an improved outlook for the region, driven by higher unit sales and a lower tariff impact for the remainder of the year, give us the confidence to raise our full-year guidance.”
€1.8 billioneuros
Up from €20 million in Q2 2025, helped by the ARCHION cash inflow.
Group Q2 2026 results were mixed: Industrial Business revenue rose 6% to €11.4 billion, but adjusted EBIT fell 18% to €838 million and the adjusted return on sales dropped to 6.8% from 9.2%. Earnings per share declined 46% to €0.15. Trucks North America orders jumped 156% to 35,379, while Mercedes-Benz Trucks orders slipped 11% and Daimler Buses orders fell 25%.
For 2026, Daimler Buses cut its unit sales guidance to 20,000–25,000 (from 25,000–30,000) because of weak Latin America and Mexico markets. Trucks North America raised its own outlook to 9–11% ROS and 160,000–180,000 units. The company says the guidance assumes the current USMCA framework stays in place and no changes in tariff policy, macro or geopolitical conditions.
“Given our strong liquidity position, we intend to launch the second tranche of our ongoing share buyback program immediately upon completion of the first tranche, which is expected by mid-September at the latest. The second tranche is planned to run through the end of June 2027 and will have a volume of up to €1.1 billion.”
Previously from Daimler Truck AG
In July 2026, Daimler Truck had already raised its 2026 guidance after the U.S. Department of Commerce approved its U.S. Content application; preliminary Q2 results also showed free cash flow nearly triple consensus estimates. Today's announcement continues that momentum with a further raise.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Daimler Truck AG's official releases.
Why this matters
Tariffs had been hurting Daimler Truck's profits, but U.S. approval of its local-content application eases that burden, letting the company sell more trucks in North America and reach higher profit targets. The improved cash position also allows a second share-buyback tranche, directly benefiting shareholders. Meanwhile, weak Latin American and Mexican markets forced Daimler Buses to lower its sales goal, showing regional differences in truck demand.
Terms in This Story
- EBIT
- Earnings before interest and taxes; a measure of operating profit.
- Adjusted return on sales
- A profitability ratio that measures adjusted operating profit as a share of revenue, here for the Industrial Business.
- Free Cash Flow
- Cash a company generates after spending on capital investments; money available to shareholders and debt holders.
- US Content application
- A request to the U.S. Department of Commerce for a product to be recognized as having enough U.S.-made content, which can lower tariff costs.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.