Würth optimistic: orders are increasing, a sense of optimism is in sight!

Würth optimistic: orders are increasing, a sense of optimism is in sight!

The Würth trading group is cautiously optimistic for the second half of 2025. Despite erratic US economic policy, the business climate appears to be improving, which is reflected in the company's new orders. In April, the electronic components subsidiary reported a 26 percent increase in orders, followed by 29 percent in May and 35 percent in June. CEO Robert Friedmann interprets these figures as a possible indicator of a positive turnaround.

In the first half of the year, the Würth Group's sales rose by 2.2 percent to 10.4 billion euros, which corresponds to 2.7 percent after adjusting for currency effects. However, the decline in profit before taxes by almost 10 percent to 475 million euros does not go unmentioned. The reasons for this decline are the increasing price war and rising costs for logistics and personnel. CFO Ralf Schaich expressed the expectation that the end of the year might be at the same level as the previous year if the forecast is correct.

Human resources and hiring strategies

At the end of June 2025, the Würth Group employed around 87,200 people worldwide, which corresponds to a decrease of 1.6 percent compared to the previous year. In the last few months, no redundancies were announced for operational reasons, but some positions were not filled. The company is planning targeted new hires in production in order to respond to current challenges.

Around 44,000 of the employees work in sales. This sales strength could be a key factor in improving the business climate in the coming months, especially if the new federal government's measures continue to promote the spirit of optimism in the German economy.

Growth prospects and challenges

The order situation gives hope for an acceleration of growth in the second half of 2025. Würth is targeting sales growth in the mid-single-digit range for the year as a whole. However, US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements, which influenced the second quarter, also represent a significant risk for further development.

The Würth Group, which is considered the world market leader in fastening and assembly technology, offers a range of over a million products, including screws, dowels, tools and occupational safety materials. The company also produces some of its own products. In the 2024 financial year, the group achieved sales of 20.2 billion euros with an operating result of 940 million euros. The group's largest individual company, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, is located in Künzelsau and has more than 8,000 employees.

Overall, the Würth Group is optimistic and is pursuing the goal of actively addressing the challenges of the current economic situation. According to company representatives, the positive optimism could be a decisive factor for success in the second half of the year. [ka-news] reports that developments in the economy could depend heavily on the decisions of the federal government. An optimistic outlook for the coming months could therefore be realistic.

Further details about the development of the Würth Group can be found in the reports from [Würth].