Local Manufacturing And Efficiency Will Secure Future Success

Key Takeaways

• Increased local manufacturing, efficiency measures, and growth in services support higher margins, resilient cash flow, and reduced supply chain risk in expanding global markets.
  
• Focus on zero-emission machinery and rising demand in construction and agriculture position the company to benefit from sustainability trends and accelerating industry recovery.
  
• Heavy dependence on the European construction market and weak international expansion, compounded by regulatory and cost challenges, threaten both growth prospects and long-term profitability.

Catalysts

Manufactures and distributes light and compact equipment in Germany, Austria, the United States, and internationally.

• Growing clarity around tariffs between the U.S. and Europe, coupled with Wacker Neuson's strategic focus on increasing local manufacturing (80% already localized in the Americas), is expected to reduce cost uncertainty, mitigate supply chain risk, and support margin stability in overseas growth markets, likely boosting future earnings and profitability as international expansion continues.
  
• The company's ongoing efficiency measures-including sustained reductions in net working capital (inventories down by €132 million year-on-year, targeting further drops) and operational cost-control programs-should further support higher net margins and improved free cash flow in the coming quarters, especially as market recovery drives top-line growth.
  
• An improving order environment (year-to-date book-to-bill ratio at 1.1, with order intake rising since early 2025) alongside a gradual rebound in core construction and agricultural segments sets the stage for revenue acceleration as industry demand returns, especially given secular trends in global urbanization and infrastructure spending.
  
• Wacker Neuson's investment in zero-emission and electrified machinery (battery-powered rammers, excavators), aligned with the global push for sustainability and stricter emission standards, positions it to capture premium pricing and market share as regulations tighten, likely supporting both revenue growth and margin expansion over time.
  
• Ongoing growth of the Services segment-delivering >3% year-on-year growth and taking a higher share of revenue-signals progress toward more resilient, recurring revenue streams, which should underpin earnings quality and support higher net margins as the business mix shifts from traditional equipment sales to higher-margin service offerings.

Wacker Neuson Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Wacker Neuson's revenue will grow by 8.4% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 2.4% today to 7.7% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach €210.4 million (and earnings per share of €2.37) by about September 2028, up from €51.1 million today.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 10.5x on those 2028 earnings, down from 31.4x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the GB Machinery industry at 17.4x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 1.03% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 6.37%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Wacker Neuson Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• The company remains heavily exposed to the cyclical European construction market, which accounts for 78% of group revenue and saw a 10% year-over-year decline in H1 2025, indicating over-reliance on a single region and increased vulnerability to regional economic downturns, likely affecting long-term revenue growth and earnings stability.
  
• Expansion efforts in the Americas and Asia-Pacific are underperforming, with the Americas down 20% and Asia Pacific down 23% in H1 2025; persistent difficulties penetrating these markets may constrain geographic diversification, capping growth opportunities and suppressing future revenues.
  
• The imposition of a 15% tariff on European imports to the U.S. increases cost pressures and introduces ongoing uncertainty for U.S. customers and distributors, which may compress net margins and erode competitiveness in a key growth region.
  
• Despite ongoing efficiency and cost reduction programs, EBIT margins remain below historical levels (H1 2025: 5.2%), and margin recovery is slow, suggesting that existing efficiency efforts may be insufficient to offset industry-wide price pressures, wage inflation, and regulatory costs, thereby risking long-term profitability.
  
• Gradual recovery in core construction and agricultural end-markets and ongoing inventory overhangs signal that the sector has only just passed the sales trough, raising the risk that demand remains weak for an extended period and impacting future top-line growth and earnings momentum.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of €26.333 for Wacker Neuson based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be €2.7 billion, earnings will come to €210.4 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 10.5x, assuming you use a discount rate of 6.4%.
• Given the current share price of €23.6, the analyst price target of €26.33 is 10.4% higher.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.