The forest machine market continued to weaken in the third quarter of the year. Order intake amounted to EUR 143.4 million, and order books at the end of the review period totalled EUR 163.2 (199.1) million.

The current geopolitical situation creates constant uncertainty and is widely reflected in consumer confidence and behaviour. The weakening demand in the forest industry and the decrease in timber harvesting volumes had a negative impact on the demand for forest machines, which was particularly evident in the Finnish market. In certain markets, however, there are signs of a modest recovery, particularly in Germany, France and the United States, where the tariff agreement has helped to stabilise the situation.

Our net sales remained at the previous year's level and were EUR 172.7 (169.3) million in the third quarter. The delivery volumes of new machines remained unchanged, and the sales of used machines increased slightly. The net sales of maintenance services remained at a good level despite the challenging situation. The net sales of Ponsse’s technology company Epec continued to grow in the third quarter.

Our operating profit fell short of the targets, and our relative profitability was 5.6 (11.0) per cent. This was affected by a weaker-than-expected gross margin and the development of costs.

The cash flow from business operations for the review period was EUR 4.4 (36.5) million. Used machine stocks continued to grow as the market situation deteriorated. Despite a slight increase in used machine sales, stock levels remained unchanged. The company’s solvency remained at a very good level, and Ponsse’s self-sufficiency continued to develop favourably.

Ponsse is currently celebrating its 55th anniversary with a tour that began earlier this year in Finland. The celebratory tour continued during the summer and early autumn in the United States, the Nordic countries and Central Europe. In September, we opened new premises in France, and our dealer Wahlers opened a new location in Germany. These events drew a delightfully large number of our customers to celebrate Ponsse’s 55th anniversary with us. We are celebrating the anniversary in about 20 countries around the world this year.