FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX Broker) - Schaeffler's recovery gained fresh momentum on Wednesday. Shares in the automotive supplier climbed as much as 8.4 percent in morning trading, hitting a high of 8.41 euros, their loftiest level since early March. Since bottoming out in mid-March amid the initial market reaction to the conflict in Iran, the stock has now surged by a third.
Jefferies analysts drew positive conclusions on Wednesday from Schaeffler's preliminary data ahead of its upcoming quarterly results. Analyst Vanessa Jeffriess noted that the implied operating margin (EBIT) was significantly ahead of expectations.
A company presentation indicated that while revenue likely fell below the previous year's 5.92 billion euros due to currency headwinds, the adjusted EBIT margin was slightly above the prior-year figure of 4.7 percent. This would place profitability in the upper half of the full-year guidance range of 3.5 to 5.5 percent.
In a research note, Citigroup analyst Ross MacDonald estimated the first-quarter margin at 4.8 to 4.9 percent, comfortably beating the analyst consensus of 4.3 percent. He also viewed the management's reaffirmation of its 2026 fiscal year guidance as a positive signal. Against the backdrop of historically volatile quarterly performance, he sees signs of reduced seasonality and a more stable financial profile./tih/men/nas
