We published our Q1 results today. KONE’s President and CEO Philippe Delorme said:
“2026 started on a solid note, with first-quarter financial performance in line with expectations and good momentum in strategy execution. This was achieved despite heightened geopolitical tensions related to the war in the Middle East where our foremost priority is the safety of our employees and our customers. The resilience shown by our people in the region has been admirable, and business disruptions have so far been limited. Should the conflict persist, however, its impacts would become more visible in the coming quarters.
Orders received increased slightly from a high year-on-year comparison period, supported by strong growth in Europe and in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Sales growth was broad-based, with all areas and businesses contributing to a nearly 7% increase. Modernization continued to grow at a double-digit rate and I was particularly pleased to see our aftermarket share of sales rising to over 65%. Together with the benefits from our performance initiatives, this supported a 30-basis point improvement in adjusted EBIT margin despite headwinds from exchange rates. Overall, the first quarter represents another period of consistent delivery against our profitable growth ambitions.
Our RISE strategy advanced well during the quarter. We continued to both grow maintenance base connectivity and roll out field productivity tools at a healthy pace. An excellent example of productivity-enhancing solutions is Technician Assistant – an AI-based tool that enables field technicians to interactively access relevant technical information and troubleshooting guidance, helping them solve issues independently and significantly faster. Digital innovation was also in focus as we celebrated our 30-year anniversary in China in March. The celebrations provided an excellent platform to showcase our data-driven solutions and the enhanced customer value and user experience they deliver. Our connected and intelligent offering also plays an important role in supporting more energy efficient buildings and safer, more reliable people flow. In this context, I am particularly proud of the external recognition we have received for our sustainability progress, most notably our recent upgrade to Platinum status in the EcoVadis ratings.
While geopolitical uncertainties persist, we are confident in our progress toward our financial targets for this year and beyond. Our transformation toward Service and Modernization underpins this progress and continues to be a key driver of resilience and long-term value creation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees for their commitment and strong execution.”
Read more: https://kone.ws/4vXccF1