JOST Werke SE, a leading global manufacturer of safety-critical systems for the commercial vehicle industry, reported strong financial results for the second quarter of 2026, showcasing broad-based growth and improved profitability. The company's revenue increased by 12.7% to EUR 440.2 million, compared to EUR 390.7 million in the same period last year, with organic growth of 8.9% supported by all regions and business lines. Adjusted EBIT grew by 18.5% to EUR 43.9 million, and the adjusted EBIT margin improved to 10.0%, within the company's strategic profitability corridor of 10% to 12%.
Group earnings after tax more than doubled, rising by 132% to EUR 15.9 million, while adjusted earnings after tax increased by 19% to EUR 24.6 million. Free cash flow surged to EUR +17.3 million, a significant improvement from EUR +0.6 million in Q2 2025. The company also reported a notable increase in ROCE, up 3.5 percentage points to 16.3%, and its leverage ratio improved to 1.81x, back within the target range of 1.0x to 2.0x.
Joachim Dürr, Chief Executive Officer of JOST Werke SE, emphasized the quality of growth, stating, "All regions and business lines contributed organically. This performance reflects market share gains driven by new customer wins and cross-selling synergies rather than acquisition effects alone." He added that the company delivered the strongest first half-year in its history, with EUR 857 million in revenue and adjusted EBIT of EUR 88 million, confirming the effectiveness of its AMBITION 2030 strategy.
Regionally, EMEA revenue grew by 9.5% to EUR 205.9 million, though adjusted EBIT margin declined to 4.3% due to structural adjustments and higher input costs. AMERICAS saw revenue increase by 17.1% to EUR 121.0 million, with adjusted EBIT margin improving to 13.3%, driven by new customer wins and a better product mix. APAC revenue rose by 14.0% to EUR 113.3 million, with adjusted EBIT margin up to 15.7%, supported by strong demand in China and India.
In terms of business lines, Transport revenue increased by 5.6% to EUR 218.7 million, Agriculture revenue grew by 20.2% to EUR 89.8 million, and Hydraulics revenue rose by 20.9% to EUR 131.7 million, benefiting from demand in mining and construction and cross-selling synergies from the Hyva integration.
Oliver Gantzert, Chief Financial Officer, highlighted the company's disciplined capital allocation: "Just one and a half years after the largest acquisition in our company's history, we have increased ROCE by 3.5 percentage points to 16.3% and brought our leverage ratio back into the strategic target range. This is clear evidence that we are deploying our capital in a value-creating way."
The company confirmed its outlook for fiscal year 2026, expecting group revenue to increase in the single-digit percentage range and adjusted EBIT to grow at a faster pace, in the mid-to-upper single-digit percentage range. The adjusted EBIT margin is expected to be higher than the prior year, supported by further synergies from the Hyva integration.
JOST's results demonstrate resilience in a challenging global environment, including the U.S. market, and underscore the success of its diversified portfolio and strategic initiatives. The company's improved financial flexibility positions it to continue pursuing growth opportunities as outlined in its AMBITION 2030 strategy.
