Lenzing back in the black in first quarter
Austrian fibre manufacturer Lenzing AG started fiscal year 2025 with increased sales, despite difficult market conditions. The company also benefited in the first quarter from the effects of its extensive cost-cutting measures and was able to return to profitability.
According to a statement released on Thursday, group sales for the period from January to March amounted to 690.2 million euros, an increase of 4.8 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Cost-cutting measures and positive special effects boost results
At the same time, the company was able to significantly improve its profitability. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) more than doubled to 156.1 million euros, compared to 71.4 million euros in the same period last year.
'The operating result was mainly characterised by the positive effects of the performance programme,' the company explained. In addition, 'positive special effects from the sale of surplus EU emission certificates amounting to 25.5 million euros and the change in the fair value of biological assets amounting to 9.2 million euros' were recorded.
Ultimately, there was a net profit of 31.7 million euros, after the group had to accept a loss of 26.9 million euros in the first quarter of the previous year. The company explained that the result after taxes was therefore 'in positive territory for the first time since the third quarter of 2022'. 'Increasingly aggressive tariff policy': CEO Rohit Aggarwal warns of rising uncertainties
'The Lenzing Group continued its recovery course in the first quarter of 2025 and achieved significant increases in sales and earnings thanks to our performance programme,' emphasised chief executive officer Rohit Aggarwal in a statement. At the same time, he also referred to the difficult underlying conditions. 'The uncertainty of the markets and thus also the limited visibility of earnings have been further exacerbated by an increasingly aggressive tariff policy,' Aggarwal explained. 'We will therefore not let up and will resolutely implement the measures we have initiated in order to fully complete the turnaround and further strengthen our position as a leading integrated fibre company.'
Despite the current uncertainties, the group confirmed its earnings forecast for the current year. It, therefore, continues to expect 'higher EBITDA compared to the previous year'. This article was translated to English using an AI tool.
FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@fashionunited.com
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