JOST Achieves Strong Growth and Profitability in Q2 2026

JOST Werke SE, a leading manufacturer of safety-critical systems for commercial vehicles, reported strong financial results for the second quarter of 2026, with revenue rising 12.7% to EUR 440.2 million and adjusted EBIT increasing 18.5% to EUR 43.9 million. The company's adjusted EBIT margin improved to 10.0%, within its strategic corridor of 10% to 12%. Organic growth was 8.9%, driven by all regions and business lines, reflecting market share gains from new customer wins and cross-selling synergies from the Hyva integration.

The company's diversified portfolio helped offset a challenging market environment in the USA. In the first half of 2026, JOST achieved its strongest first-half revenue of EUR 857 million and adjusted EBIT of EUR 88 million, underscoring the effectiveness of its business model and AMBITION 2030 strategy. CEO Joachim Dürr emphasized the quality of growth, noting that all regions contributed organically, not just through acquisitions.

Revenue growth was broad-based across business lines: Transport grew 5.6% to EUR 218.7 million, Agriculture increased 20.2% to EUR 89.8 million, and Hydraulics rose 20.9% to EUR 131.7 million, boosted by demand in mining and construction and cross-selling synergies. Regionally, EMEA revenue increased 9.5% to EUR 205.9 million, AMERICAS grew 17.1% to EUR 121.0 million, and APAC rose 14.0% to EUR 113.3 million. Organic growth was particularly strong in APAC at 14.8%, driven by China's export business and rising demand in India.

Profitability improved significantly, with adjusted EBIT growing faster than revenue. In AMERICAS, adjusted EBIT surged 42.3% to EUR 16.2 million, with margin up 2.3 percentage points to 13.3%, due to higher volume, better product mix, and business model adjustments. APAC adjusted EBIT grew 30.6% to EUR 17.8 million, with margin improving to 15.7%. EMEA's adjusted EBIT declined to EUR 8.8 million, with margin down to 4.3%, due to structural adjustments and higher input costs from the Iran conflict.

Group earnings after tax more than doubled to EUR 15.9 million, with earnings per share rising to EUR 0.95. Adjusted earnings after tax increased 19.1% to EUR 24.6 million, and adjusted EPS grew 7.1% to EUR 1.48, despite a higher share count following a capital increase. The company's balance sheet strengthened, with equity up to EUR 433.9 million and equity ratio improving to 26.9%. Free cash flow turned positive at EUR +17.3 million, and net debt decreased to EUR 380.2 million. The leverage ratio improved to 1.81x, back within the target range of 1.0x to 2.0x, and ROCE rose to 16.3%.

CFO Oliver Gantzert highlighted disciplined capital allocation, noting the rapid improvement in ROCE and leverage just 1.5 years after the Hyva acquisition. He expects free cash flow to continue improving. JOST confirms its 2026 outlook: revenue growth in the single-digit percentage range and adjusted EBIT growth in the mid-to-upper single-digit range, with margin improvement. The company remains resilient despite geopolitical uncertainties, with no significant impact from the Iran conflict on demand.

The interim report for H1 2026 is available at https://ir.jost-world.com/reports. A virtual earnings conference is scheduled for August 13, 2026, with a recording available on the JOST website at https://ir.jost-world.com.