<div id="readability-page-1"><div>STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - The weak economic climate continues to weigh heavily on Germany's leading publicly listed companies. In the first nine months, earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) of the 100 highest-revenue corporations fell to €102 billion – a 15 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. This is according to an analysis by the auditing and consulting firm EY, which was made available to the German Press Agency. According to the data, just over half of these companies generated less profit than a year ago. The negative trend is ongoing, marking the third consecutive decline in profits. On the revenue side, however, there is a slightly positive signal for the first time in two years. Total revenue for the top 100 companies rose by 0.6 percent to around €1.55 trillion. However, this growth lagged behind the current inflation rate. Still, 58 percent of the companies managed to increase their revenues. EY expert Jan Brorhilker stated: &#34;2025 was yet another crisis year for the German economy.&#34; The economy remains weak, while geopolitical conflicts and U.S. trade policy have led to investment restraint. Furthermore, Chinese firms are increasingly pushing into the global market, adding extra competitive and cost pressures. &#34;German industrial companies, which are highly export-oriented, had a particularly tough time in 2025.&#34; Corporations Put the Brakes on New Hiring The strained situation is also leaving its mark on the labor market. Of the companies surveyed, 39 saw a decrease in employee numbers, while 47 reported an increase. The rest gave no information. All told, around 17,500 jobs were lost from January to September, a decrease of 0.4 percent, bringing the total number of employees worldwide to around 4.24 million. Since 2023, the total workforce has shrunk by approximately 100,000 jobs. Volkswagen remains the largest employer with around 633,000 employees, followed by DHL Group (about 537,000) and Siemens (about 318,000). Many top corporations are holding back on new hires. Job cuts are particularly prevalent in administration – especially within Germany, as Brorhilker explained. &#34;We are also seeing the impact of the increasing implementation of AI technologies. The labor market is likely to remain tight, especially for young professionals.&#34; Automakers Remain on Top Despite Sharp Losses As in previous years, automakers Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz lead the revenue rankings. However, the figures also highlight the crisis in Germany's core industry: The combined revenue of these three corporations fell by only two percent year-on-year to around €437.2 billion. However, operating profit for the first nine months plummeted by 46 percent to about €17.8 billion, with the magnitude of the decline varying by manufacturer. The top chemical companies suffered even more, with profits plunging 71 percent. In contrast, the technology sector performed significantly better. IT companies nearly doubled their profits, and the healthcare sector also posted robust profit growth of 40 percent. Deutsche Telekom tops the list of most profitable companies, recording an operating profit of €19.4 billion in the first nine months (up nine percent). Siemens, BMW, and SAP follow. The various crises have affected companies to differing degrees. &#34;The financial sector is doing relatively well, technology companies too, and the defense industry is booming,&#34; Brorhilker noted. Many companies have also transformed their business models in recent years, fundamentally repositioned themselves, and in some cases entered new markets. Has the Worst Passed? Despite the difficult starting position, Brorhilker is cautiously optimistic about the future. &#34;For the German auto industry, 2025 brought mainly bad news. But the strategic realignment and strong new models, especially in the electric segment, offer real opportunities that the worst may soon be behind us,&#34; he said. However, German industry is unlikely to become the engine of growth in the coming year. That role will continue to fall to other sectors, such as technology, according to Brorhilker. &#34;A calming of the geopolitical situation, combined with the federal government's investment package, could spark an economic turnaround that would benefit many industries.&#34;/jwe/DP/stk</div></div>

大众汽车(ADR)

德国前 100 家上市公司的息税前利润（EBIT）在前三个季度下降了 15%，降至 1020 亿欧元，连续第三次下滑。尽管收入略微增长 0.6%，达到 1.55 万亿欧元，但仍未能赶上通货膨胀。裁员总数达到 17,500 人，其中大众汽车、DHL 和西门子是主要雇主。汽车制造商的利润下降了 46%，而信息技术和医疗保健行业则实现了增长。安永的 Jan Brorhilker 保持谨慎乐观，指出汽车行业战略重组和电动模型中存在机会

Germany's Leading Corporations: Profit Slump and Fewer Jobs

- 德国前 100 家上市公司的税息前利润下降至 1020 亿欧元，同比减少 15%。
- 收入小幅上涨至 1.55 万亿欧元，但增长低于通胀率，部分公司利润减少。
- 劳动力市场压力增加，约 17500 个职位流失，汽车行业面临显著挑战。

德国主要企业：利润下滑和就业岗位减少