The arms company Rheinmetall made significantly more profit in the third quarter thanks to lucrative deals with weapons and ammunition. Based on preliminary figures, the operating result increased by almost two thirds to 191 million euros compared to the same period last year, as the DAX company surprisingly announced in the evening in Düsseldorf.
Rheinmetall thus far exceeded average expectations. The operating margin improved to 10.9 percent after 8.3 percent in the same period last year.
For the first time, the figures include the sales and earnings contribution from Rheinmetall Expal Munitions, which has been included in the balance sheet since August 1st.
The board confirmed the annual forecast. Group sales should be between 7.4 and 7.6 billion euros. Around 12 percent of this should remain as operating profit. In 2022, Rheinmetall achieved sales of 6.4 billion euros with a margin of 11.8 percent. The team led by CEO Armin Papperger wants to present the full figures on November 9th.
