Koenig & Bauer has taken an important step towards its operational turnaround by achieving a significant improvement in its Q3 operating result, leading the company back into operating profitability.
Group revenue increased by five per cent to €860.9m (AUD$1.53m) in the first nine months of 2025. Revenue in Q3 rose by eight per cent year-on-year to €310.5m ($553m), showing sequential growth since Q1.
On the basis of this positive revenue development and thanks to the planned progress of the ‘Spotlight’ programme, operating EBIT improved significantly by €37.6m ($66.98m) to €6.4m ($11.4m).
Almost the entire cumulative earnings improvement was achieved in the strong third quarter with €16.0m ($28.5m). EBIT improved in the nine-month comparison by €57.2m ($101.92m) to €1.6m ($2.85m).
“The Q3 figures speak for themselves, and we have made a significant step towards the operational turnaround,” said Dr Stephen Kimmich, CEO of Koenig & Bauer.
“This performance, in the context of a macroeconomic environment that continues to deteriorate, underscores the effectiveness of our strategic direction and the strength of our market position.
“In view of the challenging macroeconomic environment and the increased trade and geopolitical uncertainties, we confirm the guidance for the full year 2025, but see a higher probability of achieving our operating EBIT target in the lower half of the range."
The Group says its resilience is being systematically strengthened through strategic market diversification.
Koenig & Bauer noted that its long-standing market presence in economically stable and high-growth regions such as India and MEA is being consistently expanded, and the company is benefiting significantly from market growth in these regions in 2025.
This global positioning is paying off directly in view of regional challenges such as US tariffs, as demonstrated by the considerably increased share of revenue from the Asia/Pacific region (28.1% compared to 20% last year).
Market penetration and global visibility were strengthened via the go-to-market thrust, with management focusing on an intensive presence at important trade fairs such as FEFCO, K 2025 and PackPrint International, as well as focused international travel.
“Our intensive presence at international trade fairs and our focused international travel are crucial for maintaining close contact with our diverse customer groups in global key markets and further strengthening our position,” Kimmich said.
“At the same time, we are underpinning our technological leadership by consistently driving forward our innovative solutions.”
With the results, Koenig & Bauer confirms its guidance for the full year 2025. The Executive Board expects slight revenue growth to €1.3bn ($2.32bn), with an increase in operating EBIT to a corridor between €35m ($62.37m) and €50m ($89.1m).
Due to the challenging macroeconomic environment and the increased trade and geopolitical uncertainties, target achievement for operating EBIT is currently seen with a higher probability in the lower half of the corridor.
“The strong operating result in the third quarter was a key achievement for our full-year target,” explained Dr Alexander Blum, CFO of Koenig & Bauer.
“Thanks to this performance, we were able to reduce the concentration of the expected year-end performance on the fourth quarter and smooth the earnings trend."
A more precise guidance for 2026 is expected to be issued at the beginning of 2026, once there is a clearer view of the macroeconomic developments, particularly in the USA.