Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) has made a positive start to financial year 2025-26. Thanks to the healthy order backlog from the previous year, sales in the first quarter were well up on the previous year’s figure (€ 403 million) at € 466 million. Business in Europe and Asia developed particularly positively during this period. In the case of Asia, this demonstrates that HEIDELBERG is further strengthening its position in such future markets. The adjusted operating result (EBITDA) also improved significantly, to € 20 million (corresponding quarter of previous year: € –9 million). The adjusted EBITDA margin, which did not include any special items during the reporting period, rose accordingly to 4.4 percent after three months (equivalent quarter of previous year: –2.3 percent). Besides growing sales volume and improved production capacity utilization, the cost-cutting measures introduced by the company also had an impact in this regard. Systematically implementing both the plan for the future and efficiency improvements is having a positive effect on profitability in the current financial year. A full year after drupa, incoming orders of € 559 million in the first quarter (previous year’s figure: € 701 million) continued to create a solid basis for positive business development, with the company’s successful participation in the China Print trade show also playing a role.
“Thanks to our global market position and an improved cost basis, we have made a good start to the new financial year,” said Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG. “Strategic measures in our core business, together with new options in the Technology segment and our move into the defense sector, give us cause to feel very confident about the prospects for the year as a whole.” he added.
“Packaging printing remained a growth driver for our business in the first quarter,” said David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “This development reaffirms our growth strategy – the continuous and targeted expansion of our portfolio as a systems integrator for this key market segment. Our acquisition of Polar Mohr brand rights and technology to boost the productivity of value chains in packaging and label production is a further example of this approach.” he explained. As HEIDELBERG sees it, playing a leading role as a systems integrator for packaging and digital printing with hybrid printing solutions and the company’s software and service business in a digital ecosystem can offer growth potential in its core business. In the Technology segment, the focus is on expanding the operation of charging infrastructure, including DC technology, and on unlocking new market segments.
HEIDELBERG has embarked on its first project in the defense sector and agreed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on a system partnership with VINCORION Advanced Systems GmbH. This cooperation will see HEIDELBERG move into the defense market by developing, industrializing, and building power control and distribution systems for VINCORION. HEIDELBERG is aiming to become established as a reliable partner for high-quality products and gradually expand this role within the defense sector.
Following a positive start, the forecast for financial year 2025-26 is confirmed. In view of macroeconomic developments, taking into account the various opportunities and risks, and assuming the global economy does not see weaker growth than predicted by the relevant institutions, the company is expecting sales of around € 2,350 million in financial year 2025/26 (2024/25: € 2,280 million). The EBITDA margin adjusted for special items is predicted to rise to as much as 8 percent (previous year: 7.1 percent).