Nordzucker Post 1/2026 - 22 January 2026
Nordzucker reports operating loss after nine months – measures initiated
At the end of November 2025, the Nordzucker Group closed the first nine months of the 2025/2026 financial year with a significant decline in sales and a negative result, as expected due to a challenging market situation.
At 1,817 million Euro, Group sales did not reach the high level of the same period last year (2,178 million Euro). Operating profit (EBIT) declined significantly to minus 56 million Euro, compared with plus 230 million Euro in the first nine months of the previous year.
Global market prices for sugar have continued to fall significantly since May 2025 and have now reached their lowest level since 2021. High harvest yields in Brazil, India and the EU, as well as uncertainties due to tariffs and exchange rate fluctuations, are intensifying price pressure in the EU sugar market. In addition, a decline in consumption is becoming noticeable. “The significantly lower price level combined with large available quantities continues to shape market activity. The sugar market is suffering from overcapacity and simultaneous consumer restraint,” says Alexander Godow, describing the situation.
Against this backdrop, Nordzucker expects an operating loss in the high double-digit million range for the current financial year, which is significantly worse than expected. Alexander Bott, Chief Financial Officer, explains: ‘‘Sugar price volatility is part of our business, and we can deal with it. However, the current market development presents us with particular challenges. Accordingly, we have already launched comprehensive cost-cutting measures at the beginning of 2025, at an early stage.”
To ensure stability, the package of measures launched in spring 2025 will be significantly intensified and supplemented by an additional programme with further savings over the next two years, the exact details of which are currently being worked out. The planned steps relate in particular to administrative cost adjustments and structural optimisations.
“A substantial price recovery on the sugar market is not expected in the short term. We must therefore also expect a loss for 2026/2027. Our goal is to return to profitability on our own in the 2027/2028 financial year – even with low sales prices,” CFO Alexander Bott continued.
