Continental reports €9.7 billion in sales for first quarter 2025

Hanover, Germany – Continental made a solid start to the year. As expected, its first quarter of 2025 was significantly better than its first quarter of 2024. Despite declining automotive production in Europe and North America, the Automotive group sector achieved significantly higher earnings year-on-year. Tires also recorded a strong improvement in earnings in the first quarter. ContiTech posted an adjusted operating result roughly on a par with the previous year despite weak industrial demand. Geopolitical tensions and the potential impact of trade restrictions are causing a high degree of uncertainty about global economic development in the current fiscal year.

“We made a solid start to the year, significantly improving our earnings for the Continental Group in the first quarter compared with 2024, and are confident that we will achieve our annual targets,” said Continental CEO Nikolai Setzer in Hanover on Tuesday.

In the first quarter of 2025, Continental achieved consolidated sales of €9.7 billion (Q1 2024: €9.8 billion, -0.8 percent). Its adjusted operating result increased to €639 million, corresponding to an adjusted EBIT margin of 6.6 percent. Without the application of IFRS 5, the adjusted operating result would have been €586 million (Q1 2024: €201 million) and the adjusted EBIT margin would have been 6.0 percent (Q1 2024: 2.1 percent). Due to the planned spin-off of the Automotive group sector, the accounting standard IFRS 5 (Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations) has been applied as required. Consequently, since the Supervisory Board approved the spin-off on March 12, 2025, depreciation on those parts of the business earmarked for spin-off has no longer been taken into account.

Net income in the first quarter was €68 million (Q1 2024: -€53 million). Adjusted free cash flow was significantly higher than in the previous year but, due to the seasonal nature of the business, was still negative at -€304 million (Q1 2024: -€1.1 billion).

“The quarterly results reflect our focus on improving our financial position – and show that our efficiency measures are paying off. This is evident not only in earnings, but also in free cash flow, which was likewise up sharply year-on-year,” said Continental CFO Olaf Schick.

In the first quarter of 2025, the global production of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles was slightly higher year-on-year, improving by around 1 percent to 21.7 million units (Q1 2024: 21.4 million units).

In Europe, however, automotive production declined significantly by 7 percent year-on-year to around 4.2 million units. The trend in North America was similar, with a decline of 5 percent to 3.8 million vehicles. China, by contrast, recorded an increase of more than 11 percent to 6.9 million units. Weighted for regional sales of the Automotive group sector, global automotive production was therefore down 3 percent.