Preliminary figures for 2023
KSB meets forecasts of strong 2023 financial year
- Order intake and sales revenue above prior year
- Marked surge in return on sales (EBIT)
FRANKENTHAL: Frankenthal-based pump and valve manufacturer KSB closed the 2023 financial year with a marked improvement over the previous year in order intake, sales revenue and earnings before finance income / expense and income tax (EBIT). Order intake and sales revenue were defined by a strong project business. Standard product sales in Europe were affected by the weakening economic environment from the middle of the year onwards. The focus on the KSB SupremeServ Segment with spare parts and services led to strong growth of all three key indicators.
In the 2023 financial year, KSB significantly increased order intake by + 3.4 % (+ € 97 million) to € 2,960 million. Order intake in the fourth quarter grew by + 2.9 % (+ € 18 million) year on year.
The KSB SupremeServ Segment continued the positive development of the past years, increasing its order intake in 2023 by + 8.0 % (+ € 74 million). In the Valves Segment, order intake rose by + 9.1 % (+ € 33 million). The Pumps Segment remained virtually stable in the financial year com¬pared with the prior-year period. Particular mention is due to the Mining Market Area, which generated significant growth.
KSB grew its sales revenue by + 9.5 % (+ € 246 million) to € 2,819 million in the 2023 financial year. The biggest contribution came from the KSB SupremeServ Segment (+ 11.0 %), followed by the Pumps Segment (+ 8.9 %) and the Valves Segment (+ 8.5 %). All the Regions worldwide contributed to the sales revenue growth.
Due to the weakening of the economy, the sales revenue generated by KSB in the fourth quarter was – 5.8 % (– € 44 million) below the very strong prior-year figure of € 749 million.
Earnings before finance income / expense and income tax (EBIT) will be substantially above the prior-year period, in the top half of the forecast range (between € 210 and € 230 million) updated in July 2023. The growth and margin strength of the KSB SupremeServ Segment were key contributors to this performance.
Dr. Stephan Timmermann, CEO, outlines: “In view of the difficult conditions in 2023 – inflation and far-reaching global political conflicts – we are proud of and very happy with our global achievements as KSB team in the 2023 financial year. For the 2024 financial year we are planning a continuation of the company’s positive development.”
KSB is a leading international manufacturer of pumps and valves. The Frankenthal-based Group has a presence on five continents with its own sales and marketing organisations, manufacturing facilities and service operations. With a workforce of around 15,700, the KSB Group generated sales revenue of about € 2.6 billion in 2022.