Viscom SE: Weak market conditions weighed on the 2025 financial year – stabilisation and improved results expected for 2026

Incoming orders: € 80,982 thousand (previous year: € 75,050 thousand; +7.9 %)
Revenue: € 81,705 thousand (previous year: € 84,082 thousand; -2.8 %)
EBIT: € -1,815 thousand (previous year: € -11,818 thousand)

Hanover, 31 March 2026 – Viscom SE (ISIN DE0007846867), the European market leader in automated optical and X-ray inspection systems for the electronics industry, continued to operate in a challenging market environment characterised by structural changes during the 2025 financial year. The persistently subdued demand in key sales markets remained clearly noticeable. In particular, weak demand from the European and North American automotive industries influenced Viscom SE’s business performance in the reporting year. The battery inspection segment also failed to meet the Lower Saxony-based engineering company’s expectations in the past financial year. Customers awarded Viscom SE orders totalling € 80,982 thousand for the full year 2025, an increase of around 8 % compared with the previous year (previous year: € 75,050 thousand). The company achieved the range of € 80 to € 90 million forecast by management, thereby confirming the fundamental viability of its market development and sales strategy. Revenue for the reporting year amounted to € 81,705 thousand, representing a decline of 2.8 % compared with the previous year (previous year: € 84,082 thousand). Revenue performance remained within the forecast range of € 80 to € 90 million and reflects the increasing impact of the strategic measures implemented.

Operating profit (EBIT) amounted to € -1,815 thousand (previous year: € -11,818 thousand) and was therefore below the forecast range of € 1.6 million to € 4.5 million. However, EBIT was primarily impacted by increased costs of materials, additional provisions for inventories amounting to € 619 thousand (previous year: € 229 thousand) and expenses arising from exchange rate differences amounting to € 948 thousand (previous year: € 370 thousand). Material costs increased – partly due to the changed product mix and the value adjustments made – by € 3,991 thousand to € 29,407 thousand (previous year: € 25,416 thousand). Personnel expenses of € 35,347 thousand were € 8,202 thousand lower than the previous year (€ 43,549 thousand), primarily due to the lower average number of employees as a result of the workforce adjustment measures implemented in 2024. In the previous year, one-off effects relating to restructuring costs in connection with staff reduction measures, including severance payments and leave of absence during notice periods, amounted to € 4,723 thousand. The decrease in depreciation and amortisation by € 452 thousand to € 6,335 thousand (previous year: € 6,787 thousand) had a positive impact on the net profit for the year. The reduction in other operating income (€ 1,363 thousand; previous year: € 1,765 thousand) by € 402 thousand had a negative impact on earnings. Other operating expenses remained at the previous year’s level (€ 12,646 thousand; previous year: € 12,661 thousand) and were negatively influenced in particular by expenses arising from exchange rate differences. The € 1,816 thousand reduction in provisions for bad debts, amounting to € 204 thousand (previous year: € 2,020 thousand), had a positive impact on earnings. The majority of the impairment loss on receivables recognised in 2025 was attributable to the full write-down of receivables from a customer in the battery sector who is currently undergoing insolvency proceedings. The majority of these receivables had already been written down in the 2024 financial year. The EBIT-Margin stood at -2.2 % (previous year: -14.1 %) and was thus also significantly below the forecast range of 2 % to 5 %. The net loss for the period amounted to € -5,625 thousand (previous year: € -9,629 thousand).

Viscom’s strategic target segments – electronic assemblies (SMT), industrial applications, and the inspection of devices, microelectronics and battery cells – offer attractive long-term growth potential. Building on this, the management is pursuing a clear strategic agenda: further strengthening the safety and reliability of critical components, tapping into new markets and applications, and sustainably positioning Viscom as a technology leader in automated inspection. Viscom’s aim is to consistently translate the structural and technological foundations established in recent years into profitable growth. Innovative strength, proximity to customers and, above all, the commitment and expertise of our employees are the decisive factors for success. With this collective strength, the Executive Board believes Viscom is well prepared to master the challenges ahead and generate long-term growth.

Against the backdrop of general market trends and industry indicators for 2026, the current financial year for Viscom will be characterised less by dynamic growth and more by consolidation, efficiency improvements and strategic development. The company invested early in future-oriented technologies, digital solutions and new business models and is well positioned to benefit from a gradual market recovery and to strengthen its competitiveness in the long term. Overall, 2026 offers the opportunity to consolidate the foundations for future growth, even though the market environment remains characterised by uncertainty and structural change. For the 2026 financial year, Viscom expects order intake and target revenue of € 80 to € 90 million, with an EBIT-Margin of between 2 % and 5 %. This corresponds to EBIT of € 1.6 to € 4.5 million.

Sustainability is a central component of Viscom’s corporate culture. Viscom SE therefore voluntarily publishes a non-financial statement to inform its stakeholders about all of Viscom SE’s activities in the areas of the environment, social responsibility and good corporate governance. However, the non-financial statement is not part of Viscom SE’s 2025 Annual Report and will be available for download separately on the company website www.viscom.com under the heading Company/Profile/Sustainability.

The full report for Viscom SE’s 2025 financial year is also available for download from today on the company website www.viscom.com under the heading Company/Investor Relations/Financial Reports.

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About Viscom

Viscom SE develops, manufactures and sells high-quality inspection systems. Its product range covers the full range of optical inspection and X-ray inspection. The company is a leading global provider in the field of assembly inspection for electronics manufacturing. Viscom’s systems can be configured for each individual customer and networked. Its headquarters and manufacturing site are in Hanover. With a large network of branches, application centres, service centres and representatives, Viscom is represented all over the world. Established in 1984, Viscom SE has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2006 (ISIN: DE0007846867). Further information can be found at www.viscom.com.

Any forecasts, expectations or statements concerning the future included in this release may be subject to risk or uncertainty. We therefore cannot guarantee that the expectations will prove correct. Actual results and developments may differ significantly from the expectations and assumptions expressed. The factors that could cause such deviations include changes in the general economic and competitive situation, exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations and changes in national and international law. The company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements in this corporate news.