Ongoing Weak Market Dynamics Lead to Declining Sales and Half-Year Loss

Bystronic AG faced a challenging market environment in the first half of 2024. Economic uncertainty led to reduced demand, with order intake and sales both seeing significant declines compared to the previous year. Order intake dropped to CHF 304.7 million (-24.5% at constant exchange rates), and net sales fell to CHF 330.9 million (-26.3% at constant exchange rates).

The decline in sales, despite cost-saving measures, resulted in a loss for the company. The operating result (EBIT) was CHF -23.0 million, and the net half-year result was CHF -20.8 million, compared to CHF 25.3 million and CHF 19.8 million, respectively, in the same period the previous year. Operating free cash flow also remained negative at CHF -26.9 million.

High start-up costs and unplanned additional expenses during complex automation and end-to-end solutions project implementations further impacted profitability. Bystronic's CEO, Domenico Iacovelli, highlighted the company's focus on positioning closer to customers, strengthening its portfolio, and optimizing costs to navigate these challenges.

No significant recovery is expected in the second half of 2024, with continued challenging market conditions anticipated. Consequently, Bystronic foresees a significant loss for the full year 2024.