Raute posted a substantial increase in third-quarter orders but saw revenues fall sharply as weak intake from prior periods constrained delivery volumes.
Based in Finland, Raute is a supplier of production technology for the veneer, plywood and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) industries.
Order intake for the three months to September 2026 reached €53m ($59.3m), a 37.6% increase from €38m in the corresponding quarter of 2025. The improvement was underpinned by a €31m contract with Kohila Vineer OÜ, an Estonian subsidiary of the Latvijas Finieris Group, covering technology deliveries for a plywood mill expansion. Deliveries under the contract are scheduled for the second half of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028.
Net sales for the quarter, however, declined 33.6% to €29.0m from €43.7m a year earlier. The company attributed the drop to a diminished order book and subdued intake during preceding quarters, compounded by lower activity levels at customer operations. Comparable EBITDA fell to €3.2m, equating to an 11.0% margin, compared with €6.5m and 15.0% in Q3 2025. Margins were partially protected by the reversal of certain project-related cost provisions and disciplined spending controls, including temporary layoffs in Finland.
Over the first nine months of 2026, net sales totalled €95.4m, down 31.5% from €139.3m, while comparable EBITDA decreased 44.2% to €11.4m.
Alongside the results, Raute tightened its full-year outlook. It now anticipates 2026 net sales of €125–135m and comparable EBITDA of €13–16m, narrowing the upper end of its previous guidance of €125–145m and €11–18m respectively.
Raute president and CEO Mika Saariaho said: “While we continue to expect volatility in customers’ investment activity, Raute’s strong balance sheet and continued focus on operational excellence, disciplined cost management and successful customer deliveries position us well to navigate the current market environment and respond when market conditions improve.”
Performance across business units diverged. Wood Processing bore the brunt of the downturn, with quarterly net sales falling 46.5%, while Services edged up 3.2% and Analyzers declined 8.1%. The order book stood at €85m at the end of September, down from €108m a year earlier, partly owing to an approximately €5m cancellation by a customer in Asia-Pacific.
Raute described the market environment as challenging during the quarter. Customers continued to defer investment decisions amid geopolitical tensions, constrained financing and uneven construction demand, though the company noted ongoing interest in productivity and efficiency-enhancing solutions.
Europe dominated Q3 order intake at 80%, with Asia-Pacific contributing 10%, North America 6% and South America 3%.
