Business situation and financial performance of the Linde Material Handling segment

Order intake in the Linde Material Handling segment came to € 2,126.8 million in the first nine months of 2013, underpinning its leading position in Europe. However this was 5.3 per cent down on the figure achieved in the same period of last year of € 2,245.0 million (excluding the hydraulics business) due to poorer economic conditions. The EVO models launched at the start of the year proved to be a positive factor and have been at the centre of sales activities since January 2013. A study has found that the EVO models are among the lowest-emission trucks. As a result, LMH not only fulfils the strict Level III B EU emissions standard in the load capacity range of 2.5—5.0 tonnes but also undercuts the defined threshold by some way.

Revenue in the Linde Material Handling segment stood at € 2,131.5 mil­lion, decreasing by 1.9 per cent compared with the figure of € 2,173.6 million (excluding the hydraulics business) for the corresponding period of 2012 largely owing to currency effects. However, it proved more stable than order intake. Adjusted EBIT totalled € 231.1 million, which was ­significantly up on the adjusted prior-year result (Q1—Q3 2012: € 221.8 million excluding the hydraulics business). The adjusted EBIT margin improved from 10.2 per cent to 10.8 per cent for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2013.