The Budapest Stock Exchange Premium category company reported consolidated revenue of EUR 207.9 million in the first quarter, up 6.9% year-on-year. EBIT remained at the previous year’s level at EUR 11 mln, while consolidated profit after tax rose 2.4% to EUR 7.7 mln.
The company said its performance was affected by several external factors, including oil and fuel market pressures linked to the armed conflict in the Middle East and the strengthening of the forint against the euro, but that its broad portfolio helped offset the impact.
Zsolt Barna, chairman and CEO of Waberer’s Group, said management had moved to reduce the effect of these external pressures.
“During the quarter, the drastic increase in fuel prices, the armed conflict in the Middle East and the strengthening of the forint against the euro temporarily put pressure on the company’s profit-generating capacity,” he said.
“To manage these risks, management initiated the renegotiation of existing contractual fuel clauses that address the impact of fuel price changes, and we were able to significantly reduce the time requirement of the automatic price correction mechanism,” Barna noted.
“We managed the exchange rate effect through forward foreign exchange positions concluded at an exchange rate of HUF 400 to the euro, meaning that the strong forint no longer represents an additional risk during the year for our group, which fundamentally settles in euros. At the same time, the balanced operation of our group continues to be strongly supported by the stable profit-generating capacity and growth of the insurance segment, which is also becoming an increasingly important pillar of Waberer’s diversified business model from a strategic perspective,” Barna added.
The message from the company’s investor day was that Waberer’s remains resilient in a challenging economic environment and continues to pursue its long-term growth strategy around three main pillars: infrastructure development, regional expansion and diversification. The group also plans to renew its stock market presence with a holding structure that better reflects its wider range of activities beyond road logistics.
Waberer’s logistics activities connect it directly to the automotive value chain. The company says it has launched transcontinental logistics services in cooperation with Chinese partners to serve automotive customers. These services are intended to serve as references for developing similar solutions in the future.
The group also provides logistics services to a major automotive manufacturer across several European markets, including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. This gives Waberer’s exposure to one of the most important industrial sectors in Central Europe, where supply chains depend on reliable cross-border logistics, multimodal capacity and disciplined cost management.
A separate milestone came with the launch of the first rail shipment of finished cars from BMW’s plant. The operation is handled by PSP Rail, Waberer’s rail logistics subsidiary, and strengthens the group’s position in automotive logistics as the Debrecen region becomes increasingly important to Hungary’s car industry.
Hungary was the country where the Waberer’s brand was born, and it remains central to the group’s long-term growth plans. It has taken delivery of its Debrecen Logistics Center, a HUF 9 billion investment on approximately 22,000 sqm, which it describes as one of the region’s key modern logistics infrastructure developments. The site is expected to support the group’s role in serving automotive and industrial clients in eastern Hungary, where new manufacturing capacity and supplier networks require more sophisticated logistics infrastructure.
Waberer’s said revenue growth was primarily supported by its strong position in Central and Eastern Europe and its integrated service portfolio. The logistics segment generated EUR 162 mln in consolidated revenue in the first quarter, up 3.9% year-on-year. Growth was supported by the acquisition of Pannon-Busz-Rent Kft. in mid-2025, one of Hungary’s leading private road passenger transport companies, specializing in employee shuttle services, rail replacement buses, and charter coach services. Headquartered in Kozármisleny, near Pécs, the firm has been operating for more than 20 years. Waberer’s owns 51%, with Pannonbusz founder Zoltán Kölbl retaining 49%, although Waberer’s has an option to acquire the remaining shares in 2027.
Elsewhere, Waberer’s completed the full consolidation of Serbia’s MD International d.o.o., one of Serbia’s leading contract logistics and FMCG distribution companies. Segment EBIT reached EUR 1.6 mln, representing an increase of more than 12%. The company said the improvement came despite third-party warehouse development activity, completed at the end of 2025, no longer supporting the segment’s results in 2026.
The loss of that contribution was largely offset by the addition of passenger transport activity and by improved profitability at its Polish subsidiary, Link, following its 2024-2025 transformation. At the same time, the segment remained under temporary pressure from higher fuel prices and the strengthening of the forint against the euro.
According to Barna, the group’s strength comes from its diversification, albeit in related industries.
“The stability of Waberer’s operations comes from being present in several complementary business lines at the same time: in road transport, we cover 35 countries with our own fleet and subcontractor network; our rail services extend to 17 countries; while we carry out contract logistics activities in three countries,” the CEO said.
“In addition, we have launched our global air and sea services, which are important complementary elements of our complex logistics service packages. The insurance business also contributes to our growth,” Barna added.
The group highlighted several major corporate partnerships expected to support its expansion into higher-value logistics segments. Among these is a five-year contract with FrieslandCampina Hungária, which has strengthened Waberer’s position in chilled product logistics. The company said the agreement has increased its share in a segment that carries higher operating costs and risks, while also stabilizing its presence in temperature-controlled food logistics.
Waberer’s scale remains one of its main competitive advantages. The group operates a fleet of 2,800 trucks, 18 locomotives, more than 1,000 rail wagons and 160 buses. It also manages 275,000 sqm of modern warehouse space, giving it one of the largest logistics capacities in the region.
The long-term targets remain unchanged. Waberer’s aims to exceed EUR 1.7 billion in revenue and reach EUR 100 mln in EBIT by 2031. The company said the renewed brand and holding structure are designed to support that strategy by presenting the group as a diversified regional logistics and insurance services provider.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of June 19, 2026.
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