In the first half of 2025, Salzgitter AG’s Trading business unit achieved a turnaround with a marginally positive result, thanks to cost adjustments and restructuring measures, the company states.
It is less happy with the results of its Steel Production and Steel Processing business units, which it says reflected the extremely challenging political and economic conditions, Kallanish notes.
In the first six months, Salzgitter group recorded external sales of €4.7 billion ($5.5 billion), down year-on-year from €5.2 billion. Earnings before taxes amounted to negative €83.8 million, compared to positive €11.5m in H1 2024.
On the basis of preliminary results published in July, the company had already adjusted its guidance downward. It now anticipates revenue of €9-9.5 billion for the full year, down from the previous forecast of €9.5-10 billion. In terms of pre-tax result, it envisages a range between a loss of €100m and breaking even. Previously, it forecast a range of €–100m and €+100m.
The Trading unit, which encompasses stockholding distribution as well as international trading, saw earnings turn from a loss to a profit. Ongoing cost savings combined with restructuring measures brought the pre-tax result to a positive €10.9m, after a loss of €0.8m in the first half of 2024.
One-off effects included the sale of subsidiaries in Austria and in pipes distribution. Compared with the year-earlier period, the unit’s shipments declined marginally from 1.74 million tonnes to 1.68mt. Sales of stockholding steel trade, in particular, dropped considerably below last year, the company notes, without giving tonnages.
Christian Koehl Germany
