Alfa Laval reports strong order growth in third quarter
Alfa Laval reported a substantial increase in order intake during the third quarter of 2026, alongside higher revenue and adjusted operating earnings, although profitability margins and earnings per share declined compared with the corresponding period last year.
The Swedish industrial group recorded orders of SEK 23.23 billion, compared with SEK 17.07 billion in the third quarter of 2025, representing reported growth of 36% and organic growth of 33%.
Net sales increased by 8% to SEK 18.60 billion from SEK 17.24 billion, with organic growth reaching 6%. Adjusted EBITA rose by approximately 6% to SEK 3.36 billion, compared with SEK 3.18 billion a year earlier.
Despite the increase in adjusted operating earnings, the adjusted EBITA margin narrowed to 18.1% from 18.4%. Net income declined to SEK 2.26 billion from SEK 2.30 billion, while earnings per share decreased to SEK 5.40 from SEK 5.53.
Cash flow from operating activities strengthened to SEK 3.37 billion, compared with SEK 2.21 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
Nine-month performance and outlook
For the first nine months of 2026, Alfa Laval reported order intake of SEK 63.08 billion, compared with SEK 51.30 billion a year earlier, representing organic growth of 22%.
Net sales reached SEK 52.63 billion, compared with SEK 50.53 billion in the previous year, while adjusted EBITA increased to SEK 9.32 billion from SEK 9.10 billion. The adjusted EBITA margin declined to 17.7% from 18.0%.
Net income for the nine-month period amounted to SEK 6.22 billion, compared with SEK 6.33 billion in 2025. Earnings per share fell to SEK 14.91 from SEK 15.22, while operating cash flow increased to SEK 7.02 billion from SEK 5.77 billion.
Alfa Laval reported a return on capital employed of 20.9%, down from 24.2%, while its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio improved to 0.94 from 1.11.
Looking ahead, the company expects demand in the fourth quarter of 2026 to be somewhat lower than in the third quarter.
The interim report has been reviewed by the company’s auditors.
