Schaeffler posts 17.5 billion euro nine-month revenue and confirms 2026 guidance
Schaeffler reported 17.5 billion euros in first-nine-month revenue and booked roughly 240 million euros in one-off charges in its E-Mobility division, while confirming its 2026 outlook.
- 17.5 billion euros (prior-year period: 17.7 billion euros)
- 4.5 percent (prior-year period: 4.2 percent)
- around 240 million euros, of which about 220 million euros in the third quarter
- around 400 million euros
What Happened
Schaeffler has published preliminary revenue and earnings figures for the first nine months and the third quarter of fiscal 2026. The company said all of its divisions held their own successfully in a challenging environment and delivered solid results, and it confirmed its guidance for the Schaeffler Group and its individual divisions for the full year 2026. In the third quarter, the EBIT margin before special items came in at 4.2 percent, compared with 4.5 percent a year earlier. Free cash flow before cash inflows and outflows for M&A activities reached +260 million euros in the quarter, up from +175 million euros in the prior-year quarter.
- 17.5 billion euros (prior-year period: 17.7 billion euros)
- 4.5 percent (prior-year period: 4.2 percent)
- -40 million euros (prior-year period: +47 million euros)
In the E-Mobility division, revenue rose to 3.9 billion euros in the first nine months, from 3.7 billion euros a year earlier. The EBIT margin before special items was -14.8 percent, an improvement from -17.8 percent in the prior-year period, and the division's EBIT margin before special items improved further to -13.1 percent in the third quarter. For the results of the other divisions, the company referred to the table published with its release.
Because of continuing volume reductions on European automakers' projects, especially in China, Schaeffler decided to take one-off write-downs and provisions totaling around 240 million euros, of which about 220 million euros fall in the third quarter of 2026; these are excluded as special items. The write-downs mainly concern production equipment that is no longer needed because of declining projects, and the measure also includes portfolio clean-ups in specific thermal management systems, while the components and modules business in that area continues unchanged. By writing down these assets, Schaeffler says it is reducing balance-sheet risks and cutting overcapacity, and the resulting financial effects will improve E-Mobility profitability in the following years. Schaeffler is continuing its future strategy for e-mobility in the Chinese market and aims to further expand its share of Chinese OEMs, particularly in the e-mobility business, with reaching break-even remaining the central goal for E-Mobility.
- The positive trend from previous quarters continued in the growth field of humanoid robotics.
- Two new Chinese customers from the Greater China region were won in the third quarter of 2026.
- Order intake in this growth business improved to around 400 million euros.
“With the adjustment of our capacities and the clean-up of our portfolio in the E-Mobility division, we are responding consistently to changing market conditions. With the one-off write-downs we are proactively reducing balance-sheet risks and improving our earnings potential in the following years. At the same time, we are aligning the E-Mobility division in a more focused and competitive way in order to safely reach the operational break-even. Order intake in humanoid robotics developed pleasingly, growing to 400 million euros. Based on the solid results in the first nine months and in the third quarter of 2026, we confirm our guidance for 2026 and the medium-term targets for 2028.”
Schaeffler issued a press and IR release setting out its medium-term targets for 2028, which it referenced in today's release.
Schaeffler holds an analyst call to explain further details of the preliminary figures.
Schaeffler publishes its interim statement with the final, audited figures.
Previously from Schaeffler Group
Schaeffler has been working through an earnings improvement program it launched in November 2024. Our earlier coverage reported that the company implemented the program's structural measures ahead of schedule and concluded about 1,800 additional partial retirement agreements.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Schaeffler Group's official releases.
Why this matters
The figures show a major German supplier holding its overall business steady while reshaping its electric-mobility unit. Continuing volume cuts on European automakers' projects, especially in China, forced roughly 240 million euros in write-downs that Schaeffler says will lift E-Mobility profitability in later years, a change that affects its plants, investors and automaker customers.
Terms in This Story
- EBIT margin before special items
- A profitability measure showing operating profit as a percentage of revenue, with one-off effects excluded so that periods can be compared more easily.
- Special items
- One-off costs, write-downs or provisions that a company strips out of its adjusted results because they are not part of normal operations.
- Free cash flow
- The cash a company generates from its business after covering operating costs and investments; here it is measured before cash flows for mergers and acquisitions.
- Break-even
- The point at which revenue exactly covers costs, so that profit is zero.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.