Volkswagen lowers 2026 profit forecast

The costs of the group's restructuring also played a role. The executive board had thereby foreshadowed additional strains on the current fiscal year.

Several causes confirmed

The information available on the reasons for the profit reduction is based on seven reports. Five sources confirmed the adjustment to the annual forecast announced by Volkswagen in September.

Volkswagen did not quantify the stated causes with a complete total amount. The available facts particularly identify the impairment charge for Porsche as amounting to billions, but do not cite a consolidated sum of all the strains.

The lowered forecast is part of the company's latest financial statements. The third quarter and the outlook for the full fiscal year are therefore assessed against the backdrop of weaker business and higher structural costs.

Outlook for the full year

For investors, it is crucial that the weaker expectations were already public. Nevertheless, the stated reasons illustrate the scale of the challenges Volkswagen is facing in the current year.

Porsche and business in China are therefore two central levers. The group's restructuring is also a factor, and its costs may weigh on free cash flow, even if Volkswagen is managing its operating development successfully itself.

Until the full third-quarter financial statements are released, it remains to be seen how the stated factors will affect the actual annual results. The verified information primarily confirms that the profit forecast was already lowered and the direct reasons for doing so.