Swiss building materials giant Holcim AG (HLB.F, HCMLF, HOLN.SW) reported slightly higher profit and net sales for the first half of fiscal 2026, while key earnings metrics showed modest pressure.
Net income attributable to the group reached CHF 913 million, a 0.5 percent increase compared to CHF 908 million in the same period last year.
Earnings per share edged just marginally higher, rising 0.2 percent to CHF 1.65 from CHF 1.64 recorded a year earlier.
Adjusted net income came in at CHF 936 million, or CHF 1.69 per share, improving from CHF 869 million, or CHF 1.57 per share, in the prior-year period.
Recurring EBIT, a closely watched profitability metric for the company, slipped to CHF 1.438 billion with a margin of 18.1 percent, slightly below CHF 1.440 billion and an 18.3 percent margin recorded a year ago.
The second quarter told a more encouraging story, with recurring EBIT climbing 5.4 percent year-over-year to CHF 1.007 billion, while the margin held steady at 22.9 percent.
Net sales for the first half totalled CHF 7.925 billion, up 0.7 percent from CHF 7.871 billion a year ago, with organic sales growth of 5.2 percent year-over-year.
Second-quarter net sales grew 5.5 percent to CHF 4.405 billion, supported by organic growth of 6.4 percent, reflecting continued underlying demand strength.
Building on the momentum, Holcim raised its fiscal 2026 guidance, now targeting approximately 5 percent organic net sales growth and approximately 10 percent organic recurring EBIT growth.
The company said both metrics are now positioned at the high end of its NextGen Growth 2030 strategy targets, alongside a further expected increase in recurring EBIT margin.
This upgrade marks a meaningful shift from the company’s prior projections, which had called for organic net sales growth of 3 percent to 5 percent and organic recurring EBIT growth of 8 percent to 10 percent.
The revised outlook signals growing confidence from Holcim’s leadership in the company’s ability to sustain organic growth momentum through the remainder of the year.
