Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Earnings Watch: Volvo Says Net Profit Falls, Announces Fine in EU Probe

The Swedish parent to truck brands Volvo, Mack and others reported its second quarter profit slid from a year ago due to lower sales in many parts of the world and has downwardly revised its expectations in North America.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
July 19, 2016
Earnings Watch: Volvo Says Net Profit Falls, Announces Fine in EU Probe

 

3 min to read


The Swedish parent to truck brands Volvo, Mack and others reported its second quarter profit slid from a year ago due to lower sales in many parts of the world and has downwardly revised its expectations in North America.

Ad Loading...

AB Volvo said on Tuesday net profit dropped to 1.9 billion kronor ($222 million) from 5.2 billion in the second quarter of 2015 as revenue fell 7% to 79 billion kronor. Adjusted operating earnings rose to 6.13 billion kronor from a year ago’s 5.98 billion kronor, beating a forecast for 5.64 billion kronor in Reuters poll of analysts.

Ad Loading...

“In the second quarter we were able to continue the improvement of our underlying profitability despite declining sales, thanks to positive cost development," said Martin Lundstedt, AB Volvo President and CEO. "Sales decreased by 7% to 78.9 billion kronor. Despite this, the underlying operating income increased to 6.1 billion kronor, corresponding to an operating margin of 7.8%."

Adjusted for currency movements and acquired and divested units, sales decreased by 3%.

According to Marketwatch, Volvo’s order intake in the second quarter totaled 45,422 vehicles, down 8% from 49,551 in the same period last year. Order intake declined in all markets except for Africa and parts of the Pacific region. However, in terms of the value of net sales, all regions saw declines except for Europe, where they improved 10%

Bloomberg news reports, in North America, Volvo truck orders fell 29% in the second quarter. Volvo is expecting industry-wide truck sales on the continent to total 240,000 this year, about 10,000 less than its April estimate.

The news came as Volvo also announced it has reached a settlement with the European Commission putting an end to a long-running E.U. antitrust investigation.

Ad Loading...

As part of the settlement Volvo will pay a fine of 670 million euros, corresponding to 6.3 billion kronor.

According to the company, the amount is mainly covered by provisions made in 2014 and 2016, totaling 650 million euros or 6.1 billion kronor.

“The commission case was already more than five years under way. Without the settlement we would have been facing many more years of proceedings, with an uncertain outcome. We are now able to look forward and focus on our business”, said Lundstedt,

The anti-trust investigation concerns the time between 1997 and January 2011 and involves the Volvo Group as one of six manufacturers. The focal point of the case is the coordination on gross list prices, but also the introduction of new emission-related technologies, according to a statement from the European Union.

“While we regret what has happened, we are convinced that these events have not impacted our customers. The Volvo Group has always competed for every single transaction”, said Lundstedt. “We have taken these events very seriously from the outset and our full cooperation with the commission resulted in a very substantial reduction in the fine.”

Ad Loading...

Volvo is one of five European truck makers being hit with record fines totaling around 3 billion euros or $3.3 billion, with the others including Daimler, Paccar’s DAF, Iveco and MAN.


More Equipment

Diagram of trailer tandem slider suspension
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeMarch 19, 2026

SAF-Holland Redesigns Suspension Slider to Save Weight in On-Highway Trailers

SAF-Holland reengineered the UltraLite40 Slider for the ULX40 Mechanical Sliding Suspension and Axle System to reduce weight, improve durability, extend trailer life, and increase payload efficiency.

Read More →
Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks North America.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsMarch 18, 2026

Volvo Teases Next-Gen VNX as Platform Expansion Continues at TMC

Volvo Trucks North America highlighted new connectivity, safety tech and production investments at TMC. The OEM also signaled that a new heavy-haul flagship tractor is coming soon.

Read More →
Back of truck cab showing air and electrical line connections
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeMarch 16, 2026

SAF-Holland Introduces SmartSto System for Safer Tractor-Trailer Uncoupling

The system combines a fifth-wheel air release with stowage for air and electrical connections, helping prevent damage and reducing driver injury risk.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Diagram of SAF Holland BrakeSight
EquipmentMarch 16, 2026

SAF-Holland’s BrakeSight Aims to Take the Guesswork Out of Air Disc Brake Maintenance

New Haldex sensor technology from SAF-Holland integrates with telematics systems to give fleets continuous insight into air disc brake condition.

Read More →
Solar panels on top of a red Class 8 truck sleeper cab
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeMarch 15, 2026

Vanair Introduces Solar, Battery Power Ecosystem for Class 8 Trucks

The company’s expanded EPEQ ecosystem includes flexible solar panels, lithium batteries, hydraulic power systems, and a portable fast charger for electric trucks.

Read More →
Phillips Connect Smart Trailer technology.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsMarch 15, 2026

Phillips Connect Expands Smart Trailer Platform with New Safety, Cargo and Equipment Intelligence

Phillips Connect Smart Trailer enhancements give fleets deeper operational insights from trailers -- even when another provider supplies basic GPS tracking.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Accuride ProShield XGT.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsMarch 15, 2026

Accuride Unveils ProShield XGT Aluminum Wheel Coating at TMC

Accuride’s patent-pending surface-coating technology targets filiform corrosion and promises easier cleaning, longer-lasting gloss, and greater durability for aluminum truck wheels.

Read More →
Valvoline at TMC 2026.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsMarch 15, 2026

Valvoline, Cummins Extend X15 Oil Drain Intervals to 100,000 Miles

New approval for Valvoline Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 allows fleets running Cummins X15 engines to extend oil drain intervals by up to 25,000 miles -- reaching intervals as high as 100,000 miles.

Read More →
Al Anderson, Peterson.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsMarch 15, 2026

A New Approach to Lighting Reliability

Peterson’s Genesis lighting system and repairable J560 connector target two persistent fleet problems: LED light failures and costly electrical connector downtime.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration of a row of trucks with question marks overlaid
EquipmentMarch 12, 2026

The Hidden Cost of Delaying Truck Replacement

Many fleets extended truck replacement cycles during recent market disruptions. But holding equipment too long can lead to higher repair costs, longer downtime, and new operational risks.

Read More →