Nokian Tyres expects that its net sales in 2020 will be below last year’s and operating profit will be “significantly” beneath 2019 levels. Operating profit will primarily be affected by costs related to the company’s expansion in North America and other investment programmes.
Automotive supplier Hella has ended the fiscal year 2018/2019 (1 June 2018 to 31 May 2019) with an increase in sales and earnings. Currency and portfolio-adjusted sales have risen by 5.0 per cent compared to the previous year. Reported sales decreased to 7.0 billion euros (previous year: 7.1 billion euros) as a result of divestment from the wholesale business and taking the effects of exchange rates into consideration.
Delticom AG has managed to maintain its gross profit level in the first half of the year despite a slight decrease in sales compared with the prior-year period. Revenues amounted to 285 million euros in the six months to 30 June 2019, 2.1 per cent less year-on-year. Gross profit was 76.9 million euros, nearly unchanged compared to the previous year; stable profits and lower sales meant that the gross margin slightly grew to 21.9 per cent (H1 2018: 21.7%).
Continental is the latest automotive sector company to report lower year-on-year income in the second quarter of the year. The tyre maker and automotive systems supplier describes its fiscal performance during the period as “an overall solid” result despite a “sharply declining market.” It is nevertheless considering ways of keeping its production costs in check, and will report its progress to this end in the weeks to come.
In reporting its financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2019, Hankook Tire notes that the six months to 30 June were punctuated by uncertainty within the global tyre market. Challenges faced by many tyre makers include declining vehicle sales, anti-dumping duties and uncertainty caused by US-China trade tensions. Hankook specifically battled high fixed costs during a low demand cycle, a relatively high dependency on China for both production and sales, and issues with stabilisation at its 2017-opened plant in the USA.
Continental has readjusted the full-year 2019 outlook for its tyre-making Rubber Group, primarily in response to declining global car and light vehicle production. It has also readjusted the outlook for its Automotive Group business for the same reason.
Kumho Tire has appointed its interim CEO as the new permanent CEO following reports it was struggling to find a suitable candidate. South Korean media sources report that the Board approved the appointment of vice president Jeon Dae-Jin (60) yesterday. Kumho also reported a net loss for the fourth consecutive year in its annual financial report.
German tyre and automotive systems manufacturer Continental AG has reported Q3 2018 sales of 10.8 billion euros, a result just a whisker higher than the company achieved a year earlier. Adjusted EBIT amounted to 771.8 million euros, 30.1 per cent lower than last year’s result. Adjusted EBIT of 771.8 million equates to an adjusted operating margin of 7.2 per cent; the margin was 10.3 per cent in Q3 2017.
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. reports a 1.2 per cent year-on-year increase in sales revenue in the nine months to 30 September 2018, however profit indicators were lower than in the first three quarters of last year. The tyre and rubber products manufacturer has also revised its full-year fiscal projection in light of operations at its US tyre plant.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has reported Q3 2018 sales of US$3.9 billion, slightly up on a year earlier; improved volume, price/mix and higher sales in other tyre-related businesses were “substantially offset” by unfavourable foreign currency translation.
General Tyre and Rubber Company of Pakistan Limited reports net sales for the financial year ending 30 June 2018 increased 22.2 per cent year-on-year to PKR 11,785.5 million (£78.7 million). Profit from operations amounted to PKR 1,190.1 million (£7.9 million), down 8.7 per cent on the previous year’s result. Total comprehensive income for the year was PKR 671.4 million (£4.5 million), 20.7 per cent lower than in the 2016-17 financial year. Earnings per share amounted to PKR 11.97 (2016-17: PKR 14.75).
During the first half of 2018, online tyre retailer Delticom achieved revenues of 290.5 million euros, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2 per cent. EBITDA rose 36.0 per cent to 6.8 million euros and the margin increased from 1.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent. EBIT was up 16.2 per cent year-on-year to 3.2 million euros and net income increased 150.0 per cent to 2.0 million euros
For Toyo Tire & Rubber, the first half of 2018 was a period of mixed fortunes. The manufacturer reports that turnover and earnings within its core tyre business increased 3.9 per cent during the six months to 30 June, with sales of 160,046 million yen (£1.1 billion) and operating income of 22,669 million yen (£160.8 million) resulting in a slightly improved profit margin of 14.2 per cent. Overall sales were down 3.3 per cent, to 185,738 million yen (£1.3 billion), due to decreased turnover within the company’s automotive parts business.