Gasgoo Munich- Bosch Group released its first-half 2026 results on September 23. Even as the business climate remains tough, the engineering giant managed steady growth, with sales climbing 3.6% year-on-year to 46.4 billion euros from 44.8 billion euros a year earlier.
Image Source: Bosch
Profitability took a hit. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) slipped to 2.2 billion euros from 2.3 billion euros a year ago, pushing the EBIT margin down to 4.6% from 5.1%. Bosch attributed the dip primarily to one-off special charges in its Mobility Solutions division.
Across its business segments, performance varied, yet all four divisions contributed positively to the group's overall results.
Mobility Solutions, the largest division, posted sales of 27.8 billion euros — a 0.5% year-on-year decline, though currency-adjusted growth stood at 2.3%. The EBIT margin slipped to 4.7% from 5.8%. Bosch cited two headwinds squeezing profitability: stagnant vehicle production volumes and 270 million euros in one-time special charges. These charges, largely impairments on production facilities, reflect a global shift to electric mobility that is lagging earlier expectations.
Industrial Technology sales jumped 6.8% to 3.4 billion euros, or 9.2% when adjusted for currency effects, while the EBIT margin narrowed to 2.5% from 4.5%. The revenue boost was driven by better order intake. Meanwhile, the Consumer Goods division felt the heat from stiffer competition among Chinese suppliers; sales slid 2.9% to 9.6 billion euros, remaining flat on a currency-adjusted basis. The segment's EBIT margin fell to 4.4% from 5.1%.
Energy and Building Technology saw sales soar 45.9% to 5.4 billion euros. Acquisitions by Bosch Home Comfort Group contributed roughly 2 billion euros, offsetting a 450 million euro reduction from the sale of most assets in the Building Technologies product division. Stripping out currency moves, sales surged 52.0%, lifting the EBIT margin to 7.3% from just 0.8% a year ago.
Looking ahead, Bosch is holding steady on its full-year forecast, expecting fiscal 2026 sales growth of 2% to 5%, with an EBIT margin reaching 4% to 6%. Bosch believes that although the global economy shows some resilience, the outlook remains uncertain, which will delay investment decisions across markets and intensify competition. In the mobility sector, Bosch expects global passenger car and light commercial vehicle production to continue to slide in 2026, while heavy commercial vehicle output is set to notch a slight increase.
