Key Insights
- KWS SAAT SE KGaA to hold its Annual General Meeting on 3rd of December
- Salary of €468.8k is part of CEO Felix Büchting's total remuneration
- Total compensation is 42% below industry average
- KWS SAAT SE KGaA's EPS grew by 18% over the past three years while total shareholder return over the past three years was 8.6%
Shareholders will probably not be disappointed by the robust results at KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA (ETR:KWS) recently and they will be keeping this in mind as they go into the AGM on 3rd of December. This would also be a chance for them to hear the board review the financial results, discuss future company strategy to further improve the business and vote on any resolutions such as executive remuneration. In our analysis below, we discuss why we think the CEO compensation looks acceptable and the case for a raise.
Check out our latest analysis for KWS SAAT SE KGaA
Comparing KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA's CEO Compensation With The Industry
At the time of writing, our data shows that KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA has a market capitalization of €2.3b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of €1.3m for the year to June 2025. We note that's an increase of 12% above last year. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at €469k.
In comparison with other companies in the Germany Food industry with market capitalizations ranging from €1.7b to €5.5b, the reported median CEO total compensation was €2.3m. This suggests that Felix Büchting is paid below the industry median.
| Component | 2025 | 2024 | Proportion (2025) |
| Salary | €469k | €469k | 35% |
| Other | €861k | €713k | 65% |
| Total Compensation | €1.3m | €1.2m | 100% |
On an industry level, roughly 56% of total compensation represents salary and 44% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that KWS SAAT SE KGaA allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance.
A Look at KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA's Growth Numbers
KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 18% a year over the past three years. It saw its revenue drop 3.5% over the last year.
This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..
Has KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA Been A Good Investment?
KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA has generated a total shareholder return of 8.6% over three years, so most shareholders wouldn't be too disappointed. Although, there's always room to improve. Accordingly, a proposal to increase CEO remuneration without seeing an improvement in shareholder returns might not be met favorably by most shareholders.
To Conclude...
Overall, the company hasn't done too poorly performance-wise, but we would like to see some improvement. Assuming the business continues to grow at a good clip, few shareholders would raise any objections to the CEO's remuneration. Rather, investors would more likely want to engage on discussions related to key strategic initiatives and future growth opportunities for the company and set their longer-term expectations.
CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling KWS SAAT SE KGaA (free visualization of insider trades).
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
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Discover if KWS SAAT SE KGaA might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.