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Kuehne+Nagel reported a strong third quarter 2026 with growth across all business units, posting a 53% growth in earnings to CHF316 million (US$383 million) from CHF206 million in the same quarter last year
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Net turnover increased by 22% year on year to CHF7.4 billion from CHF6.0 billion
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Earnings before interest and taxes rose by 53% to CHF435 million from CHF285
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Sea, air, road, and contract logistics operations all posted higher EBIT
Swiss freight forwarding and logistics group Kuehne+Nagel reported a strong third quarter 2026 with growth across all business units, posting a 53% growth in earnings to CHF316 million (US$383 million) from CHF206 million in the same quarter last year.
Net turnover increased by 22% year on year to CHF7.4 billion from CHF6.0 billion, while earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 53% to CHF435 million from CHF285, the company announced.
It attributed the improvement to higher volumes, increased gross profit and an improved operational conversion rate. Air Logistics continued to deliver strong growth throughout the year, while Sea Logistics gained market share.
“Kuehne+Nagel delivered strong third-quarter 2026 results, reflecting the resilience of our operations and validating our strategy of profitable growth. All business units contributed to this achievement,” said Stefan Paul, CEO of Kuehne+Nagel International AG.
“The announced long-term partnership with Amazon and AWS enables us to capitalize even faster and more effectively on future growth opportunities,” he said.
Kuehne+Nagel announced in September that it signed a long-term strategic collaboration with Amazon, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), the e-commerce company’s cloud computing arm.
Based on the results of the first nine months of 2026, Kuehne+Nagel said it expects recurring EBIT for the full year 2026 in the range of CHF1.5 to 1.6 billion.
Sea and Air Logistics
For its Sea Logistics business, the net turnover for the third quarter grew by 20% to CHF2.7 billion and EBIT grew 55% to CHF172 million. In terms of volume, cargo handled reached 3.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units as of end-September.
“In the third quarter of 2026, the business unit returned to growth and increased volumes by 5%. Performance was driven primarily by market share gains on Asia outbound and transatlantic trade lanes. Growth was further supported by continued expansion in the China-origin controlled freight market,” Kuehne+Nagel said.
Air Logistics, meanwhile, increased net turnover by 38% to CHF2.4 billion in the third quarter of 2026, with EBIT growing 84% reaching CHF 169 million. At the end of September 2026, air freight volumes totaled 1.7 million tonnes.
Volume growth accelerated from 3% in the second quarter 2026 to 10% in the third quarter. Demand for logistics solutions supporting cloud infrastructure and semiconductor customers was a key growth driver.
Kuehne+Nagel also continued to strengthen its pharma logistics offering expanding its temperature-controlled transport solutions. In September, a new healthcare logistics center was opened at Frankfurt Airport.
On the Road
Road Logistics also increased net turnover by 14% to CHF1 billion and EBIT 40% to CHF28 million.
The market recovery already visible in previous quarters continued in the third quarter. Stable demand for value-added services and cross-border solutions was recorded in the European groupage business as well as in North America and Asia Pacific. Customs services continued to be a significant contributor to the unit’s strong performance.
Contract Logistics
Contract Logistics raised net turnover 9% to CHF1.3 billion in the third quarter of 2026, with EBIT rising 7% to CHF66 million.
Contract Logistics achieved positive results in the third quarter, driven by strong performance in Europe and the Middle East. Continued growth and the successful implementation of new customer projects worldwide required targeted upfront investments and an addition of around 4,000 employees.
Kuehne+Nagel has about 92,000 employees across more than 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries.
