Autoneum agrees to buy French supplier Trèves for up to EUR64m
Swiss supplier Autoneum will pay up to EUR64m (USD72m) for Trèves: about EUR40m up front, mostly in new shares, and an earn-out of EUR24m tied to results by 2029. Trèves, which makes acoustic and thermal insulation and interior trim, has about 4,600 staff at 26 plants in 15 countries and had revenue of around EUR720m in 2025. The deal adds hubs in Morocco, Romania and Brazil and should close early in the first quarter of 2027.
BMW cuts its 2026 car margin guidance for a second time
BMW now expects a 2026 automotive EBIT margin of between -0.5% and +0.5%, down from 1–3%, citing fourth-quarter charges from restructuring. Third-quarter revenue fell 5.8% to EUR30.45bn (USD34.2bn) and deliveries 6.3% to 551,075, with China down 25%. Chairman Milan Nedeljković confirmed a 20% cut in senior vice-president roles and said BMW is considering exporting China-built cars to other Asia-Pacific markets.
Our thoughts A German premium brand weighing exports from its Chinese plants shows how global supply is being redrawn; GCC importers should watch whether China-built BMWs are ever offered to the Gulf.
Continental raises its 2026 margin and cash-flow outlook
Continental, now chiefly a tyre maker, reported third-quarter adjusted EBIT up 6.7% to EUR514m (USD578m), a 14.9% margin. It raised its 2026 adjusted EBIT margin target to 13.4–14.0% and its adjusted free cash flow forecast to EUR1.0–1.3bn.
Online car platform Cars24 and Dubai used-car dealer Alba Cars have announced a deal that makes Alba Cars part of the Cars24 group; no financial terms were disclosed. Together they retail more than 1,000 vehicles a month in the UAE, about 300 of them through Alba Cars, which keeps its brand and management.
Our thoughts Consolidation in UAE used-car retail strengthens the buyers of trade-ins, which matters to franchised dealers whose new-car sales depend on trade-in values.
Ferrari raises 2026 guidance as third-quarter profit rises 13%
Ferrari's third-quarter net revenues rose 7% to EUR1.896bn (USD2.1bn) and net profit 13% to EUR431m (USD484m), although shipments slipped to 3,368 cars on lower deliveries to China. It raised its 2026 targets to about EUR7.65bn of revenue and at least EUR3.0bn of adjusted EBITDA, citing demand for personalisation, and says its order book runs into 2028.
Our thoughts An order book stretching into 2028 means long allocation queues for GCC dealers and their customers, and little need for the brand to discount anywhere.
Briefs summarise reporting by the outlets linked under each item; follow the links for the original. Our thoughts are our own view, for general information only and not advice. See our disclaimer.
