Financial key performance indicators

The 2025/26 business year in the Steel Division was characterized by strong capacity utilization with high production and shipment volumes. As raw material prices fell, revenues also declined slightly on average compared to the previous year. Accordingly, the division’s revenue decreased slightly by 1.2% from EUR 5,799.1 million in the 2024/25 business year to EUR 5,730.6 million in the 2025/26 business year. In contrast, the Steel Division increased its operating profit (EBITDA) by 9.0% from EUR 743.8 million (margin 12.8%) to EUR 810.5 million (margin 14.1%). While lower raw material costs largely offset the decline in selling prices, the increase in production and shipment volumes had a significantly positive impact on earnings performance. In terms of operating profit (EBIT), the Steel Division grew by 16.8% from EUR 478.8 million in the 2024/25 business year to EUR 559.1 million in the 2025/26 business year. The EBIT margin thus improved year-over-year from 8.3% to 9.8%.

Comparing the third and fourth quarters of 2025/26, the Steel Division achieved significant growth in both revenue and earnings. Specifically, the division increased revenue by 15.6% from EUR 1,323.5 million to EUR 1,530.3 million. The increase in sales volumes, in particular, but also a slight improvement in price levels, had a positive impact on revenue development. At EUR 235.5 million (margin 15.4%) in the fourth quarter, EBITDA was up 31.7% and significantly higher than the level of the immediately preceding quarter (EUR 178.8 million, margin 13.5%). The main reasons for this were the expansion of delivery volumes in the fourth quarter of 2025/26. EBIT improved by 46.3% in a direct quarter-on-quarter comparison, rising from EUR 117.6 million (margin 8.9%) to EUR 172.0 million (margin 11.2%).

The Steel Division employed 10,791 full-time equivalents (FTEs) as of March 31, 2026, representing an increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year’s figure of 10,675.