ElringKlinger Annual General Meeting 2026: stable dividend and transformation on track

• All proposed resolutions approved by large majority
• Consistent dividend payment of EUR 0.15 per share approved
• CEO Thomas Jessulat: “2025 was not an easy year for us, but a successful one overall, in which we improved our operating profitability, made substantial strides in our transformation, and thus established the basis for the continued progress of ElringKlinger."

ElringKlinger AG (ISIN DE0007856023 / WKN 785602) today held its 121^st Annual General Meeting in a virtual format. The company's shareholders approved all items on the agenda with the required majorities. The other proposed resolutions put to the vote were also approved with a large majority. In their review of the annual period, the Management Board and Supervisory Board delivered an overall positive assessment of the 2025 financial year and reaffirmed the course of transformation charted in line with the Group’s SHAPE30 strategy. At the virtual Annual General Meeting, 65% of the registered share capital was represented.

Broad approval from shareholders
The Management Board's proposal, submitted in consultation with the Supervisory Board, to distribute an unchanged dividend of EUR 0.15 per share was approved by the shareholders with 95.4% of the votes. In addition, the actions of the Management Board and Supervisory Board for the 2025 financial year were approved by a large majority of 99.7% and 95.2% respectively. The Annual General Meeting also approved the 2025 compensation report and endorsed the proposed compensation systems for the Management Board and Supervisory Board. Deloitte GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, was appointed as the auditor for the 2026 financial year and, on a precautionary basis, as the auditor of the sustainability report. 

Consistent pursuit of transformation in alignment with SHAPE30
In his speech at the Annual General Meeting, Thomas Jessulat, CEO of ElringKlinger AG, emphasized that the company had enjoyed a successful financial year overall despite challenging geopolitical and economic conditions. He explained that the Group had strengthened its operating profitability and made substantial strides in its transformation, thus establishing a solid basis for its continued progress.

In 2025, the Group improved its adjusted EBIT margin to 5.4% on the back of revenue of around EUR 1.6 billion and generated operating free cash flow of EUR 33 million. Charges relating to one-off effects from the transformation in 2025 contrast with structural cost improvements in subsequent years. In light of stronger operating profitability with adjusted earnings per share of 88 cents (2024: 70 cents), together with the projected further improvement in key performance indicators and a commitment to dividend continuity, the Management Board had proposed a dividend payment of 15 cents per share in consultation with the Supervisory Board. 

Overall, the Group was said to be on track with its transformation and the way forward had been mapped out. In his remarks, CEO Thomas Jessulat stated: “With SHAPE30, we have developed a clear strategic response to geopolitical and economic challenges. SHAPE30 represents a comprehensive transformation strategy. Our measures are aimed at improving the quality of our earnings from a structural perspective, particularly in the Original Equipment segment, and generating cash flow on a sustainable basis. Our aim is to guide ElringKlinger successfully through the transformation, not only in technological terms but also with regard to value creation and capital market orientation.

SHAPE2EMPOWER: new organizational structure for the next phase of transformation
The CEO stated that, against the backdrop of continuously evolving market conditions, it was deemed imperative that the Group take appropriate action at an early stage. To this end, the Group had not only streamlined its portfolio in the past reporting period but also consolidated its global network of sites, already achieving significant milestones in this area. In addition to honing its profile, ElringKlinger would optimize its organizational structure and reposition itself. CEO Thomas Jessulat continued: “With the SHAPE2EMPOWER program, we are providing the strategic framework for operating in a more customer-focused, market-driven, efficient, and effective manner.” 

Following on from the STREAMLINE action plan, which tackled economic challenges and optimized the Group’s cost structure, SHAPE2EMPOWER marks the next organizational milestone in advancing the transformation agenda. Within the scope of this program, the Group aims to expand revenues based on high-volume series production orders that have already been secured and prepared for execution, thereby supporting enhanced profitability and the development of sustainable cash flows.

Positive start to the year
Looking ahead to the current financial year, the Management Board informed the shareholders present that the Group had made a positive start to the year. The figures for the first quarter of 2026 had demonstrated additional gains versus the prior-year period, thus validating the course that had been set. Overall, the Management Board confirmed ElringKlinger's guidance for 2026. Thomas Jessulat added that the Group would firmly orient its activities towards sustainable value generation and further advance ElringKlinger under SHAPE30, with the aim of actively contributing to the future of mobility.

A detailed overview of the results of AGM voting as well as the speech of the CEO are available on the website of ElringKlinger AG in the section Investor Relations / Annual General Meeting.