The KION Group started the financial year 2024 with revenue growth and improved profitability. The adjusted EBIT margin of 7.9 percent came in 2.3 percentage points higher year-on-year, with significant improvements in both operating segments.
2024-04-25
Group revenue in the first quarter of 2024 grew by 2.8 percent to € 2.859 billion year-on-year (Q1 2023: € 2.781 billion). In the Industrial Trucks & Services segment, revenue increased by 7.4 percent to € 2.153 billion (Q1 2023: € 2.005 billion), mainly due to the positive geographic and product mix as well as higher production output and sales prices. The service business also grew. Revenue in the Supply Chain Solutions segment declined by 8.1 percent to € 718.9 million (Q1 2023: € 782.5 million) due to the lower project business order intake of the previous quarters.
Adjusted EBIT at Group level increased significantly to € 226.7 million (Q1 2023: € 156.0 million). The adjusted EBIT margin improved accordingly to 7.9 percent (Q1 2023: 5.6 percent). The Industrial Trucks & Services segment continued its positive development of the previous quarters and achieved a double-digit adjusted EBIT margin of 11.1 percent (Q1 2023: 8.8 percent) with an adjusted EBIT of € 239.7 million (Q1 2023: € 176.6 million). This was mainly due to the continued stability of material purchase prices, increased productivity as a result of improved material availability and revenue growth.
KION Group had a solid start in 2024 substantially improving profitability at Group level and in both segments in the first quarter. Achieving the second best quarterly adjusted EBIT on the KION Group level lays a strong foundation to deliver our full year guidance.
In the Supply Chain Solutions segment, the adjusted EBIT margin increased to 2.6 percent (Q1 2023: 0.9 percent) with an adjusted EBIT of € 18.4 million (Q1 2023: € 7.1 million). Service business growth, improved project execution and the efficiency measures implemented contributed to the improvement in earnings and margins.
At € 111.0 million, consolidated net income in the first quarter of 2024 was significantly higher year-on-year (Q1 2023: € 73.5 million). Free cash flow amounted to € 65.7 million (Q1 2023: € 104.9 million).
