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Investing.com -- Voestalpine AG (VIE:VOES) shares rose 7% after the company maintained its fiscal year 2026 EBITDA guidance of €1.4 billion to €1.55 billion, despite first-quarter results falling short of estimates.
The Austrian company reported EBITDA of €361 million, 3% below the €372 million consensus.
First-quarter free cash flow totaled €188 million, driven by an €81 million working capital release from inventory reductions.
Capital expenditure dropped to €256 million in the quarter, with the full-year capex forecast unchanged at €1.15 billion.
Performance across segments was mixed. The Steel Division reported EBITDA of €190 million, missing the €195 million consensus.
Automotive demand remained stable, while construction and consumer goods stayed at low levels. Energy-related demand showed positive pricing momentum.
High Performance Metals posted EBITDA of €54 million, above the €51 million estimate, supported by aerospace materials. Tool steel continued to face pricing and competitive pressure.
The Metal Engineering Division recorded EBITDA of €102 million, below the €110 million forecast. Railway systems demand was strong, while industrial systems showed varied performance.
Metal Forming delivered €51 million in EBITDA, slightly ahead of the €50 million consensus, with strength in warehouse and rack solutions offsetting weak automotive component demand.
Voestalpine noted that end-market conditions remained stable at low levels across automotive, accounting for 30% of sales, mechanical engineering at 8%, construction at 10%, and consumer goods at 4%.
Railway systems, representing 15%, along with aerospace at 3% and warehouse technology, were described as robust.
Regional trends showed subdued activity in Europe, short-term strength in North America despite tariff-related uncertainty, inflation-driven slowdowns in Brazil, and continued industrial output growth in China amid rising trade tensions.
“We do not expect material changes to FY26 consensus & see maintained guidance and FCF enough for shares today,” said analysts at Jefferies in a note.