Investing.com -- Saint-Gobain reported a 3.2% increase in first-quarter sales to €11.7 billion, driven by improved volumes and recent acquisitions, and said it expects a gradual recovery in the European construction market in the second half of 2025.
Like-for-like sales were down 0.3%, but volumes stabilized compared to the prior year, marking a clear improvement from the fourth quarter of 2024.
Prices rose 0.8%, supported by disciplined pricing and demand for the company’s sustainable solutions.
Chief Executive Benoit Bazin said the results reflected “the success of the Group’s strategic execution and, as expected, improving trends in certain markets, in particular Europe.”
He noted the benefits of Saint-Gobain’s decentralized, regional model amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
In Europe, Northern region sales rose 2%, with the company highlighting “volume growth in all our main countries, including the Nordics.”
Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa declined 4.9%, though the company said France appeared to have bottomed in late 2024, and early signs of recovery in lending and home sales were visible.
Sales in the Americas rose 3%, with strong momentum in Latin America and stable demand in North America’s renovation market.
The Asia-Pacific region posted 3.9% organic growth, led by double-digit volume gains in India.
Saint-Gobain confirmed its full-year guidance, expecting an operating margin above 11%. Bazin emphasized the group’s “strong ability to adapt” and said it is “ideally positioned on local construction markets, with no direct exposure to customs tariffs.”