FORVIA HELLA presents financial results for the first nine months of 2026

PRESS RELEASE

 

 

Lippstadt, Germany
30 October 2026

 

FORVIA HELLA presents financial results for the first nine months of 2026
 

• Currency-adjusted sales increase by 1.0 percent to €5,925 million; taking into account negative exchange rate effects, sales are slightly above the previous year's level
• Growth in the Electronics and Lifecycle Solutions Business Groups; sales in Lighting decline
• Operating income reduced to €294 million, operating income margin of 5.0 percent
• Net cash flow amounts to € -99 million; net cash flow as a percentage of sales is
  -1.7 percent
• Company outlook for the fiscal year 2026 confirmed in a challenging market environment

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA ("FORVIA HELLA") today published its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2026 (1 January to 30 September 2026). Currency-adjusted sales rose by 1.0 percent to €5,925 million; in contrast, global light vehicle production declined by 0.7 percent over the nine-month period. Taking into account negative exchange rate effects, Group-wide sales of €5,883 million were slightly above the previous year's level (previous year: €5,868 million).

Operating income amounted to €294 million in the nine-month period (previous year: €338 million); the operating income margin thus declined to 5.0 percent (previous year: 5.8 percent). Net cash flow amounted to € -99 million (previous year: €68 million), resulting in net cash flow as a percentage of sales of -1.7 percent (previous year: 1.2 percent).

“Since the beginning of the fiscal year, we have been operating in a volatile market characterized by intense competitive pressure. The fact that we were able to maintain stable sales and outperform vehicle production growth despite a declining industry environment demonstrates the effectiveness of our strategic focus, particularly in our key growth area Electronics. Furthermore, we took early action to cushion the impact of additional cost pressures and are in close and intense alignment with our customers to compensate for price increases, especially in electronic components. We have also made significant progress in our Lighting Transformation Program,” says Prof. Dr. Peter Laier, Chief Executive Officer of FORVIA HELLA.

Growth in the Electronics and Lifecycle Solutions Business Groups; sales in Lighting declineIn the Electronics Business Group, since this fiscal year the largest Business Group for the first time in the company's history, sales in the first nine months of 2026 increased by 5.2 percent (organic: +6.8 percent) to €2,712 million (previous year: €2,577 million). This was mainly due to a successful business with 77 GHz radar sensors, control electronics such as the intelligent Power Distribution Module (iPDM) and various energy management components, including low-voltage battery management systems and voltage converters.

In the Business Group Lighting, sales decreased by 6.3 percent (organic: -5.7 percent) to €2,563 million (previous year: €2,734 million). On the one hand, the lighting business was in general affected by the weaker industry environment. On the other hand, significantly lower call-off figures, also in connection with the division's customer and product mix, as well as the discontinuation of various large-volume series projects, had a significant impact on the sales development of the Business Group.

In the Lifecycle Solutions Business Group, sales improved by 4.2 percent (organic: +4.8 percent) to €770 million (previous year: €739 million). Business with manufacturers of special vehicles, primarily in the truck and bus, agriculture and construction machinery customer segments, continued to develop positively. The spare parts business benefited from higher demand overall, additionally supported by an expanded product range following the re-entry into the thermal management business. The workshop equipment business was driven by demand for entry-level diagnostic solutions and the introduction of new calibration products.

Company outlook for the fiscal year 2026 confirmed in a challenging market environmentWith the presentation of its quarterly results, FORVIA HELLA confirms its forecast for the current fiscal year (1 January to 31 December 2026). The company therefore continues to expect currency-adjusted sales of between around €7.4 and 7.9 billion; with the figure now expected to be in the upper half of the given forecast range. For the operating income margin, FORVIA HELLA continues to expect a figure of between around 5.4 and 6.0 percent, with a figure at the lower end of the range. Net cash flow as a percentage of sales is still forecast to be at least 1.8 percent.

“We are addressing the current challenges facing the automotive industry through consistent cost control, comprehensive compensation of price increases for electronic components in close alignment with our customers, and an unchanged high focus on cash generation. We also expect our Lighting Transformation Program to have a positive impact on earnings toward the end of the year. We are therefore confident that, based on these measures, we will meet our forecast for the year,” says FORVIA HELLA CEO Peter Laier. “At the same time, we continue to invest in the transformation of mobility in a targeted manner. With the IGNITE strategy, we have set the essential priorities: We are especially strengthening the growth area of electronics, bringing our lighting business back on track with a dedicated transformation program, and enhancing its profitability. We are driving internationalization forward and diversifying our customer base. At the same time, we are simplifying processes and structures, investing in Artificial Intelligence, and thereby sustainably strengthening our competitiveness.”

Organic sales growth: Change in external sales assuming constant exchange rates

Selected key financial figures in € millions or as a percentage of sales for the first nine months (1 January to 30 September): 

  Fiscal Year 2026 Fiscal Year 2025 Change Sales currency-adjusted 5,925 5,868 +1.0% Sales 5,883 5,868 +0.3% Operating income 294 338  -12.9% Operating income
in relation to sales 5.0% 5.8% -0.8 percentage points Net cash flow -99 68 -167 Net cash flow
in relation to sales -1.7% 1.2% -2.9 percentage points

Note: The nine-month financial statement for the fiscal year 2026 is now available on the
Website of HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA available.

 

Media contacts	Address
Daniel MORFELD Group Press Officer +49 (0) 294 13 875 66 daniel.morfeld@forvia.com	HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA Rixbecker Straße 75 59552 Lippstadt / Germany www.hella.com
Riccarda KIRWALD Press Officer Corporate & Finance, Lifecycle Solutions +49 (0) 172 32 777 43 riccarda.kirwald@forvia.com

 

 

FORVIA, a global automotive technology supplier, comprises the complementary technology and industrial strengths of Faurecia and HELLA. With over 137,500 people, including more than 12,000 R&D engineers across 40+ countries, FORVIA provides a unique and comprehensive approach to the automotive challenges of today and tomorrow. Composed of 6 business groups and a strong IP portfolio of over 12,400 patents, FORVIA is focused on becoming the preferred innovation and integration partner for OEMs worldwide. In 2025, the Group achieved a consolidated revenue of €26.2 billion prior to IFRS 5. FORVIA SE is listed on the Euronext Paris market under the FRVIA mnemonic code and is a component of the SBF 120 index. FORVIA aims to be a change maker committed to foreseeing and making the mobility transformation happen. www.forvia.com

 

FORVIA HELLA is a listed international automotive supplier. As a company of the FORVIA Group, FORVIA HELLA stands for high-performance lighting technology and vehicle electronics and, with the Lifecycle Solutions Business Group, also covers a broad service and product portfolio for the spare parts and workshop business as well as for manufacturers of special vehicles. With currently around 34,000 employees at over 125 locations, the company is active worldwide and generated adjusted sales of €8.0 billion in the fiscal year 2025. www.hella.com