FORVIA HELLA publishes first-quarter 2026 results: Sales at prior-year level, robust earnings development, guidance confirmed

Lippstadt (Germany)

29 April 2026

FORVIA HELLA publishes first-quarter 2026 results: Sales at prior-year level, robust earnings development, guidance confirmed

• Currency-adjusted sales remains at the prior-year level of €2.0 billion; negative exchange rate effects cause sales decline by 2.9 percent to €1.9 billion
• Electronics is largest Business Group for the first time; Lifecycle Solutions also grows; sales decline in Lighting due to market weakness and series phase-outs
• Operating income is at €96 million; the operating income margin stands at 5.0 percent; gradual improvement expected over the course of the year
• Net cash flow is at -€49 million and -2.5 percent of sales respectively, due to seasonal effects; improvement compared to prior year driven by efficient allocation of resources
• Company outlook for fiscal year 2026 confirmed

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA (“FORVIA HELLA”) today published its full financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. As announced on 23 April already, currency-adjusted sales were stable at €2.0 billion year-on-year; taking negative exchange rate effects into account, sales decreased by 2.9 percent to €1.9 billion (prior year: €2.0 billion). Over the same period, global light vehicle production dropped by 3.4 percent.

Operating income in the first quarter of 2026 totaled €96 million (prior year: €109 million), with an operating income margin of 5.0 percent (prior year: 5.5 percent). The quarter closes with an improved net result of €32 million (prior year: €24 million). Net cash flow improved to -€49 million (prior year: -€61 million); relative to sales, net cash flow increased to -2.5 percent (prior year: -3.0 percent).

“The first three months have been very solid for us overall. Sales outperformed the development of global vehicle production. In terms of our profitability, consistent cost management and sustained improvements to our cost structures have helped mitigate the impact of lower business volumes in Lighting. Furthermore, net cash flow is seasonally negative at the beginning of the year but improved versus the prior year due to an efficient, stringent allocation of our capital expenditures,” says Prof. Dr. Peter Laier, CEO of FORVIA HELLA.

Electronics is largest Business Group for the first time; Lifecycle Solutions also grows; sales decline in Lighting due to series phase-outs and market weakness

Sales in the Electronics Business Group increased by 2.7 percent in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 (organic¹: 6.8 percent to €889 million (prior year: €865 million). For the first time in company history, Electronics thus became the largest Business Group of FORVIA HELLA. Key drivers for the sales growth were, in particular, the business with 77 GHz radar sensors and energy management components in Europe, such as low-voltage DC/DC converters and intelligent battery sensors. In Asia, business with radar sensors and low-voltage battery management systems also developed positively.

In Lighting, sales decreased by 10.8 percent (organic¹: -7.7 percent) to €843 million (prior year: €946 million). In Asia, the Business Group increased its sales, supported by various newly launched customer projects in China. By contrast, declining production volumes in the Americas and Europe, as well as several series phase-outs in these regions, had a negative impact on the Business Group’s sales performance.

In Lifecycle Solutions, sales increased by 3.3 percent (organic¹: 5.6 percent) to €262 million (prior year: €254 million). The positive business momentum that began in the second half of the prior year continued into the first quarter of 2026. This was driven primarily by successful business with manufacturers of trucks and buses as well as agricultural and construction machinery. In the aftermarket, both workshop equipment – including entry-level diagnostics solutions – and independent spare parts performed positively.

Company outlook for fiscal year 2026 confirmed

“Overall, the start to the year is in line with our expectations. For the remainder of the year, we therefore anticipate an improvement in operating income margin and net cash flow. It is currently not possible to assess how the war in the Middle East will affect the already challenging market environment. We are therefore monitoring the environment very closely and are continuously evaluating the potential implications for our business. Measures to cushion price increases in our supply chains as effectively as possible have already been initiated and implemented early on,” says CEO Prof. Dr. Peter Laier.

FORVIA HELLA confirms its guidance for the current fiscal year 2026. The company continues to expect currency-adjusted sales between around €7.4 and 7.9 billion and an operating income margin between around 5.4 and 6.0 percent of sales. The expectation for net cash flow remains at a figure of at least 1.8 percent in relation to sales.

CEO Peter Laier: “Looking ahead, Electronics is our primary growth field, for example, the business with zonal modules for new E/E architectures, radar sensors and components for e-mobility. We are also leveraging targeted growth opportunities in Lifecycle Solutions. In addition, we will accelerate the transformation of our Lighting business. This means, on the one hand, placing greater emphasis on the volume segment with sophisticated yet affordable technologies to bring the business back to growth. On the other hand, we aim to sustainably increase its profitability. To this end, we will enhance our development and production processes and further optimize material and product costs. Lighting has significant opportunities for the future. If we capitalize on these consistently, we will be strategically well-positioned for the future with all our three Business Groups.”

¹ Organic sales growth: percentage change in external segment sales excluding currency effects (assuming constant exchange rates)

Selected key financial figures in € millions or as a percentage of reported sales for the first quarter of the fiscal year (1 January to 31 March each):
 

Note: The financial statement for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2026  is also available on the
website of HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA. This text and suitable images can also be found in our press database at: www.hella.com/press