Despite a challenging macroeconomic climate, business developed robustly, and profitability improved significantly for Heidelberg during the first half of financial year 2025/26.
Half-year sales increased to €985 million (AUD$1.7bn), up around eight per cent on the previous year’s figure of €915 million ($1.6bn). Europe and Asia saw particularly positive developments during this period.
The second quarter contributed sales of €519 million ($924.2m), far higher than the figure for the first quarter of €466 million ($829.8m), and despite negative exchange rate effects amounting to around €12 million ($21.3m) compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
Thanks to the healthy order situation, the company is expecting sales in the second half of the current financial year to be higher than in the first half-year, despite continuing negative exchange rate effects. The adjusted operating result (EBITDA) was double the previous year’s figure.
The US government’s complex tariff regulations led to some orders being postponed, but the company’s success at the Labelexpo industry trade show in September sent out a strong message.
With orders running into the double-digit million-euro range, Heidelberg is underlining the strategic importance and growth potential of its label printing business.
In the Print and Packaging Equipment segment, half-year sales rose to €463 million ($824.3m) from €395 million ($703.2m) in the previous year.
“Heidelberg is holding up better than the competition in a very challenging market environment and is once again demonstrating that our strategy is working and bearing fruit,” said Jürgen Otto, CEO of Heidelberg.
“The positive developments in our core segments confirm we are headed in the right direction. The significant improvement in our profitability is particularly encouraging – a clear sign that our measures are proving effective.”
As Heidelberg sees it, playing a leading role as a systems integrator for packaging and digital printing with hybrid printing solutions can offer potential in its core business, as can the company’s software and service business in a digital ecosystem.
“Our strategy is working, with packaging and label printing driving our core business,” said Dr. David Schmedding, chief technology and sales officer at Heidelberg.
“At Labelexpo in Barcelona, our digital innovations for the growth market of label printing proved a particular draw for customers, and we struck numerous deals. Our portfolio for industrial digital printing based on the Jetfire systems is also gradually becoming established in the relevant markets.”
The company is confirming its forecast for financial year 2025/2026. A healthy order backlog, the current efficiency measures, and systematic implementation of the strategy are laying the foundations for achieving its targets.