FUCHS SE, a leading lubricant manufacturer in the MDAX, was able to increase its profit in the first quarter of the year, even though sales were down in all world regions. Despite the challenges of price adjustments and a 6 percent decline in sales to 877 million euros, the company recorded a 4 percent increase in group EBIT to 107 million euros.

This development indicates that FUCHS successfully implements measures to increase profitability even in a challenging market environment. In particular, in North and South America as well as in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the decline in sales was significant at 8 and 7 percent, respectively. Nonetheless, the post-tax result improved to 77 million euros, compared to 73 million euros in the previous year's period.

For the full year, FUCHS is optimistic and expects further growth. Revenue is expected to rise to about 3.6 billion euros, compared to 3.54 billion euros in the previous year. EBIT is forecast at around 430 million euros, compared to 413 million euros in the previous year. However, the company expects a noticeable decline in free cash flow before acquisitions to about 250 million euros, compared to 465 million euros in the previous year.

The shares of FUCHS, however, experienced a decline in XETRA trading, temporarily falling by 4.61 percent to 41.34 euros. This suggests that investors may have concerns regarding future growth prospects and the cash flow forecast. Market challenges remain, and FUCHS will continue to be challenged to achieve its strategic goals and meet investor expectations.