Rheinmetall expects sales to grow by 40 per cent to 45 per cent this year, it said on Wednesday, in line with a company-provided poll, as the German defence firm focuses entirely on its defence business to harness Europe's increased demand.
The company has put its civilian automotive activities up for sale and will now focus completely on defence, including expanding into the naval sector with acquisition of NVL.
"We are on track for success with our acquisitions and partnerships, which will enable us to continue securing our growth in the long term," said CEO Armin Papperger.
Rheinmetall will propose a dividend of €11.50 for the 2025 fiscal year at its May annual general meeting, up from €8.10 the previous year, based on its strong results.
For 2026, the company foresees sales in a range of €14 billion to €14.5 billion ($16.29 billion-$16.88 billion), encompassing the €14.1 billion forecast in a Vara consensus poll, after reporting 2025 sales of €9.9 billion.
Wednesday's figures are also above a preliminary sales outlook of around €13.6 billion that Berenberg analysts said Rheinmetall had provided them during a pre-close call last month, causing shares to plummet.
Rheinmetall also expects operating profit margin of around 19 per cent this year, slightly above 2025's 18.5 per cent, taking into account consolidation effects and holding costs, it said.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray, Editing by Linda Pasquini)