March 3 (Reuters) - German machine and car parts maker Schaeffler on Tuesday provided a conservative 2026 revenue and profitability outlook, citing a challenging environment. The company expects its
Schaeffler forecasts conservative 2026 outlook, shares slump
Schaeffler's 2026 Financial Guidance and Market Impact
By Amir Orusov and Simon Ferdinand Eibach
March 3 (Reuters) - German machine and car parts maker Schaeffler on Tuesday provided a conservative 2026 revenue and profit outlook, citing a challenging environment in global automotive production, sending its shares down 18%.
Stock Performance
The stock was on track for its worst day since March 2020.
Financial Projections for 2026
The company expects its revenue to be between 22.5 billion euros and 24.5 billion ($26.25-$28.58 billion) compared with a consensus estimate of 24.03 billion. Adjusted operating profit margin is anticipated to be between 3.5% and 5.5% compared with a consensus of 5.1%.
CEO Commentary
"In this environment, where you cannot assume that the automotive production will grow globally, where there's still a lot of uncertainty, we believe that conservative guidance continues to be the most prudent approach," CEO Klaus Rosenfeld told Reuters in an interview.
Medium-Term Targets
While the guidance is below the midpoint of expectations, Schaeffler confirmed it is still on track to meet its medium-term targets.
Growth Areas and Optimism
"I am definitely optimistic that we will achieve our ambition in the new growth areas, which may even happen earlier than planned," Rosenfeld said.
Market Conditions and Sector Performance
Despite U.S. tariffs, weaker demand and intensifying Chinese competition weighing on the automotive sector, investors had been increasingly betting on Schaeffler's growing humanoid‑robotics segment, driving the stock's significant outperformance relative to the sector before Tuesday's drop.
Recent Financial Results
Schaeffler also reported a decline in revenue to 23.5 billion euros from 24.3 billion euros in 2025, impacted by a 7.8% decline at its powertrain & chassis division. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) before special items increased by 11.1% to 936 million euros.
Long-Term Strategic Outlook
Looking further ahead, the company said that by 2035 it wants to generate up to 10% of its revenue "from new, high-potential activities such as the areas of humanoid robotics and defense."
($1 = 0.8572 euros)
(Reporting by Amir Orusov and Simon Ferdinand Eibach; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
