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Introduction & Market Context
Troax Group AB (STO:TROAX) shares fell 6.23% to 141.6 SEK on Friday after the company presented its second-quarter 2025 results, revealing declining sales and a major cost reduction initiative. The safety solutions provider reported weakening demand in Europe and Americas, while maintaining a relatively stable financial position.
The presentation, delivered by CEO Martin Nyström and CFO Anders Eklöf on July 18, outlined both the challenges facing the company and strategic responses to navigate the current market environment.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
Troax reported Q2 2025 sales of 68.7 MEUR, representing a 4% year-over-year decline from 71.9 MEUR in Q2 2024. Order intake fell more sharply, down 6% to 65.3 MEUR compared to 69.5 MEUR in the same period last year.
The company’s profitability metrics showed more significant pressure, with adjusted EBITA declining to 9.9 MEUR from 12.1 MEUR in Q2 2024. The adjusted EBITA margin contracted to 14.4% from 16.8% a year earlier, though excluding foreign exchange effects, the margin would have been 15.1%.
As shown in the following chart of quarterly financial performance:
Troax attributed the margin compression primarily to lower production volumes in Europe and negative foreign exchange effects of approximately 70 basis points. Despite these challenges, the company highlighted its price discipline and continuous improvement efforts that helped partially offset the impact of lower organic volumes.
The order intake development shows the declining trend over recent quarters:
Similarly, the net sales development illustrates the challenging market conditions:
Strategic Cost Reduction Initiatives
In response to the weakening market conditions, Troax announced a comprehensive cost reduction and supply chain optimization program launched in Q2 2025. The initiative consists of three main components:
1. Reduction of approximately 100 employees in Q2, expected to generate annual savings of around 5 MEUR effective from Q3 2025
2. Streamlining manufacturing footprint in Europe by moving warehousing products production from Poland to Sweden, affecting approximately 125 employees, with projected annual savings of 5 MEUR effective from Q1 2026
3. Investment in North American manufacturing capabilities
The total restructuring cost of 6 MEUR was reported as a one-off expense in Q2, while the combined initiatives are expected to deliver annual savings of 10 MEUR when fully implemented.
The details of this cost optimization program are outlined below:
Regional Performance Analysis
Troax’s performance varied significantly across regions in Q2 2025. Northern Europe experienced the steepest decline with order intake down 13% year-over-year, while Southern Europe was the only region showing growth with a 5% increase. The Americas region saw a 14% drop in orders, and APAC remained flat with 0% growth.
The market development by region and sector provides a detailed breakdown:
This regional disparity reflects varying economic conditions and sector-specific challenges across Troax’s global markets. The company noted weak development in Northern Europe, contrasted with growth in Southern Europe, while describing the Americas as "hesitant" and Asia-Pacific as "flattish."
Financial Position & Outlook
Despite the challenging sales environment, Troax maintained a relatively stable financial position. The company’s net debt to EBITDA ratio stood at 1.1, unchanged from Q2 2024 and well below the company’s target of less than 2.5.
The net debt development is illustrated in the following chart:
Working capital decreased by 5% to 55.8 MEUR, reflecting the company’s continued discipline in inventory management:
Adjusted EBITA development shows the pressure on margins from lower volumes and FX effects:
Looking ahead, Troax announced its upcoming Capital Markets Day scheduled for November 5, 2025, in Hillerstorp, Sweden, where management will provide updates on business performance and future ambitions.
The company’s Q2 results represent a continuation of the challenging trends observed in Q1 2025, when Troax reported a similar 4% revenue decline and EPS of $0.10. The slight improvement in Q2 EPS to $0.11 suggests some stabilization, though still below the $0.14 reported in Q2 2024.
With significant cost-cutting measures now underway and a continued focus on working capital discipline, Troax aims to navigate the current market slowdown while maintaining its competitive positioning as a "safety authority" in its core markets.
Full presentation:
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