Ponsse’s third-quarter operating profit fell to Euro 5.9 million from Euro 9.6 million a year earlier as lower invoicing for new machines and maintenance services, along with higher costs, weighed on results, Ponsse Plc said.
Net sales declined 7.4% to Euro 160 million. Market uncertainty led customers to make investment decisions cautiously, while higher fuel prices reduced their profitability in almost every market. Low construction activity and private consumption also weakened demand in the forest industry. The Nordic countries and Europe were the most active regions, but demand stayed below normal levels.
The company kept its 2026 operating-profit guidance unchanged at a level comparable with the Euro 41.6 million recorded in 2025. Factory capacity will be adjusted during the rest of the year to match market conditions. The outlook is based on assumptions regarding invoicing, production and cost development, while the company has good invoicing potential for the remainder of the year.
Third-quarter order intake increased to Euro 170 million from Euro 143 million, and the order book grew to Euro 171 million from Euro 163 million. Part of the backlog extends into next year. Production at the Vieremä factory in Finland stayed at a high level for the market conditions, while used-machine sales held at the comparison-period level and Epec continued on its strong growth path.
For January-September, net sales declined to Euro 514 million from Euro 530 million. Operating profit fell to Euro 18.4 million from Euro 30.2 million, while net result decreased to Euro 16.4 million from Euro 23.7 million. The operating-profit margin was 3.6%, compared with 5.7% a year earlier, and the equity ratio was 57.6%, compared with 57.7%.
Third-quarter operating-profit margin was 3.7%, compared with 5.6% a year earlier. A Euro 3.5 million customs-duty refund was recognized in the U.S. country organization’s result. Excluding that refund, operational profitability was at a very weak level. Operating cash flow for January-September was negative at Euro 1.3 million, compared with positive cash flow of Euro 4.4 million a year earlier, as inventories of new machines grew and used-machine sales did not reduce stocks.
Ponsse will keep investing in sales, maintenance services, product development and digital solutions while tightening cost controls. At the Vieremä factory, productivity improvements include work to expand the welding shop and increased automation. The company’s sales goal is to strengthen the order book for 2027 and promote secondhand machine sales.