Core Insights - The Feintool Group's business performance in the first half of 2025 reflects a challenging market environment in the automotive sector, particularly in Europe, but the company's strategy is showing positive effects [1][3][18] - Sales declined by 14.2% to CHF 334.5 million, with a local currency decline of 11.5% [5][20] - The operating result (EBIT) before one-off costs was CHF -0.8 million, indicating a slight improvement in profitability despite lower sales [6][20] Financial Performance - The Group generated sales of CHF 334.5 million, down CHF 55.5 million or 14.2% from CHF 390.0 million in H1 2024 [5][20] - The reported operating result (EBIT) after one-off costs was CHF -1.9 million, compared to CHF 0.2 million in H1 2024 [6][20] - The net result for the first half of 2025 was CHF -5.0 million, a decline of 56.1% from CHF -3.2 million in the previous year [20] Regional Performance - In Europe, sales were CHF 199.6 million, down 17.5% from CHF 241.8 million in H1 2024, primarily due to weak demand for electric vehicles [9][20] - Sales in the US were CHF 98.0 million, a decrease of 7.3% from CHF 105.7 million in H1 2024, attributed to lower raw material prices and a weak US dollar [15][20] - Sales in Asia were CHF 38.5 million, down 12.5% from CHF 44.0 million in H1 2024, impacted by falling exports from Japan and competition in the Chinese automotive market [12][20] Strategic Initiatives - Feintool's strategy of focusing on three core technologies and a global manufacturing network is proving effective, particularly in fineblanking and forming technologies [3][4] - The company is expanding its presence in Asia, with a new plant in Pune, India, set to start operations in 2026 [14][18] - The restructuring of production for electric motor components in Germany is underway, expected to improve profitability by 2027 [10][11] Market Outlook - The outlook for the second half of 2025 is cautious, with expectations of continued challenges in the European market [18] - Medium-term optimism is based on global megatrends towards low-carbon energy generation and mobility, which present significant opportunities for Feintool's technologies [19][22]