Continental stock holds steady as margins and revenue stay in focus
Published on 08/09/2026 at 14:45 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Continental (DE0005439004) is framed by its latest full-year numbers: revenue reached EUR 41.4 billion in 2024, adjusted EBIT margin was 6.8%, and free cash flow before acquisitions and divestments came in at EUR 1.3 billion. Those figures, together with the companys 2025 guidance, remain the most concrete reference points for Continental stock.
EUR 41.4 billion sales
Continental reported sales of EUR 41.4 billion for fiscal 2024, a base that shows the scale of its tire, ContiTech, and automotive businesses. The company also disclosed adjusted EBIT of EUR 2.8 billion for 2024, with an adjusted EBIT margin of 6.8%, which is the clearest margin marker in the latest annual figures.
Free cash flow before acquisitions and divestments was EUR 1.3 billion in 2024, compared with EUR 1.6 billion in 2023. That year-over-year change matters because it shows that cash generation stayed positive even as the group worked through a slower automotive market and restructuring costs.
Margin and cash flow
Continentals 2024 adjusted EBIT margin of 6.8% sits above the 2023 level of 6.1%, a quantified improvement that underlines operating discipline. Net income from continuing operations was EUR 1.2 billion in 2024, versus EUR 1.1 billion in 2023, which means profitability improved even before any market repricing of the shares is considered.
The company said in its 2024 annual report that Automotive revenue rose to EUR 19.4 billion, while Tires generated EUR 13.9 billion and ContiTech EUR 6.9 billion. Those segment numbers matter because they show where the group still earns the bulk of its margin support and where cyclical pressure is likely to be felt first.
2025 guidance still matters
Continentals 2025 outlook is the other hard anchor for the stock. The group guided for sales of around EUR 38.0 billion to EUR 41.0 billion, adjusted EBIT margin of 6.5% to 7.0%, and free cash flow before acquisitions and divestments of around EUR 0.7 billion to EUR 1.1 billion.
That guidance range is narrower than a generic growth story and gives investors a concrete benchmark: a midpoint sales level of EUR 39.5 billion and a midpoint margin of 6.75%. For Continental stock, the key question is whether the company can defend that margin while revenue sits below the 2024 base.
Automotive still drives risk
Automotive remained the most sensitive division in 2024, with sales of EUR 19.4 billion and the highest exposure to customer production schedules. In practical terms, that makes the segment the main swing factor for the group, because it carries both the largest revenue pool and the sharpest cyclical pressure.
Tires gives the group its most stable profit engine, while ContiTech provides additional industrial diversification. The mix matters because Continental stock is not a pure auto-tech bet; the 2024 figures show a multi-division manufacturer with cash generation still dependent on disciplined execution.
Tire business remains central
The tire division generated EUR 13.9 billion of revenue in 2024, which keeps it close to one-third of group sales and central to the companys earnings base. Continental has long used Tires as the stabilizer in periods when automotive margins come under pressure.
That makes the segment one of the most important product anchors for the share story. For the stock, the market tends to focus on whether Tires can offset weaker volumes or pricing pressure elsewhere in the group.
What the market watches
For investors, the comparison that matters most is between 2024 execution and the 2025 guidance band. Revenue moved from EUR 41.4 billion in 2024 to a guided EUR 38.0 billion to EUR 41.0 billion in 2025, while adjusted EBIT margin was held to a 6.5% to 7.0% range, after 6.8% in 2024.
That means Continental enters the year with a clear operating target rather than a vague outlook. The share story is therefore tied less to a single-day move and more to whether the company can keep margins close to the 2024 level while revenue settles toward the middle of the guided range.
ContiTech and automation
ContiTech produced EUR 6.9 billion in revenue in 2024, adding another industrial pillar to the group. The division is relevant because it helps spread risk beyond passenger car demand and ties Continental stock to broader industrial and mobility demand trends.
The product mix is also one reason the company remains a large-scale manufacturer rather than a one-theme auto supplier. That diversity supports the investment case numerically, not narratively: Tires, Automotive, and ContiTech together made up the EUR 41.4 billion sales base in 2024.
Year-end numbers
Continental stock is best read through the latest audited figures: EUR 41.4 billion in 2024 sales, EUR 2.8 billion in adjusted EBIT, EUR 1.3 billion in free cash flow before acquisitions and divestments, and a 2025 adjusted EBIT margin guide of 6.5% to 7.0%. Those numbers, not a slogan, define the current setup.
As of 09 August 2026, no dated live quote is included here, so the stock case is carried by the companys published operating metrics and guidance. The hard numbers still point to a group that is profitable, cash generative, and closely tied to execution in Automotive and Tires.
Company: Continental AG
ISIN: DE0005439004
Ticker: XETRA: CON
Trading venue: Xetra
Sector / Industry: Automobiles and Components / Auto Parts
Index membership: MDAX
