BMW posts 35% profit drop, cuts 8,000 jobs as China sales slump
BMW reported a significant drop in profit and revenue for the second quarter of 2026. The company's net profit after taxes was 1.2 billion euros, a 35 percent decrease from the same period last year. Revenue also fell from 34 billion euros to 31 billion euros.
The company announced a plan to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide, with a significant portion of the cuts expected in Germany. This move comes as BMW faces challenging market conditions, particularly in China, where sales dropped by almost a third in the second quarter.
New CEO Milan Nedeljkovic acknowledged the challenges ahead. "The challenges in the entire automotive industry are increasing rapidly: intense global competition, rising regulatory requirements, and the effects of geopolitical conflicts will shape our business model in the coming years. Therefore, it is important to be lean and agile," he said.
CFO Walter Mertl also commented on the situation, stating, "After savings of 2.5 billion euros last year, we are intensifying and accelerating our efficiency measures and tackling structural changes in a targeted manner. Our goal is less complexity and a lower cost base."
BMW's sales in China dropped by almost a third in the second quarter. The Chinese market, which was once a major source of profit for German automakers, has seen declining sales and increased competition.
The company's financial services division performed better than its automobile manufacturing division, which is unusual. The operating result (EBIT) for the automobile segment fell by more than 60 percent to 629 million euros.
BMW had already issued a profit warning in mid-June, indicating that the second quarter results would be weaker than expected. For the full year 2026, BMW expects its pre-tax profit to decrease significantly, by more than 15 percent.
The company had already reduced its workforce last year.
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