SFC Energy AG has raised its earnings guidance for the 2026 financial year after preliminary figures for the first nine months showed sales and profitability well ahead of prior-year levels. Group sales rose to EUR 132.8 million from EUR 102.7 million in the same period of 2025, while adjusted EBITDA jumped to EUR 33.7 million from EUR 10.8 million and adjusted EBIT reached EUR 25.7 million from EUR 5.0 million. The adjusted EBIT figure already exceeds the upper end of the previous full-year guidance of EUR 25.5 million after only nine months, and adjusted EBITDA is close to the upper end of its prior full-year range of EUR 34.0 million.
The sharp improvement in profitability was driven primarily by a significant expansion of SFC Energy's defense business, particularly in Ukraine, and the resulting favorable product mix. The company's fuel cell solutions provide reliable, mobile and low-signature power for military operations, supporting longer mission durations and reduced logistics effort. A higher gross margin in the European business of the Clean Power Management segment, lower-than-expected expenses for an ERP project so far, and lower logistics and handling costs for the Ukraine order also contributed to the earnings increase.
CEO Dr. Peter Podesser said the development underlines the scalability of the company's business model, with dynamic growth and a higher-margin product mix driving a disproportionate increase in operating earnings power. He noted that modern warfare generates fast-growing demand for electrical energy in the field, and that SFC's fuel cell solutions guarantee reliable, mobile and virtually undetectable power supply. Podesser also pointed to the improvement in the power management business, driven largely by growth with customers in the semiconductor equipment industry, as a further building block in improving profitability, and said the company is investing selectively in new regions such as the Middle East.
Based on the preliminary figures, the Management Board raised its 2026 earnings guidance. SFC Energy now expects adjusted EBITDA of between EUR 36.0 million and EUR 38.0 million, up from a previous range of EUR 31.5 million to EUR 34.0 million, and adjusted EBIT of EUR 25.5 million to EUR 27.5 million, compared with the prior range of EUR 21.5 million to EUR 25.5 million. The sales guidance remains unchanged at EUR 166.0 million to EUR 175.0 million. The company's shares trade under the ticker F3C:DE on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
For the fourth quarter, the Management Board expects the product mix to be shaped more by civilian products following the timely delivery of the first Ukraine programme at the end of the third quarter, resulting in a relatively lower earnings contribution than in the two preceding quarters. Higher expenses related to the ERP project are also planned for the final quarter, partly due to timing shifts from the first nine months, along with additional investments in business development activities in Ukraine. These measures are intended to strengthen SFC Energy's operating platform and market position for continued sustainable growth.
SFC Energy will publish its quarterly release for the period ended 30 September 2026 on 11 November 2026. The preliminary figures and raised guidance are likely to draw investor attention to the company's ability to translate defense demand into profitable growth. Further details are available in the original release on www.newmediawire.com, and information about the company can be found at www.sfc.com.
