Thales lifts nine-month sales 8% on stronger arms purchases
French defence group Thales posted 8.1% organic growth in nine-month sales and confirmed its 2026 targets, Reuters reports, with orders up 14%.
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what happened
French defence and security group Thales reported an 8.1% organic rise in nine-month sales, helped by stronger arms purchases, and kept its forecasts for the year, Reuters reported. The company expects organic growth for 2026 near the upper end of its 6% to 7% target range.
Sales reached €16.42 billion ($18.46 billion), up from €15.25 billion a year earlier, while order intake climbed 14% to €19.12 billion. Analysts had on average expected 7.4% organic growth and sales of €16.33 billion, according to a consensus compiled by the company.
Defence, the largest division, grew organically by 13% to €9.36 billion, ahead of the 12.4% analysts had forecast. In the third quarter Thales booked 11 major orders above €100 million each, including a deal with Eutelsat to supply government payloads for the EU's planned IRIS² constellation.
why it matters
The beat in defence and the 14% rise in orders point to steady demand for military equipment, which investors in European defence shares follow closely. Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin, who took over in July, said the group benefited from sustained commercial momentum.
market impact
European defence shares: sales and orders above expectations support sector sentiment
tags
instruments
sources
- French company Thales reports 8% higher 9-month sales led by arms spending — Reuters, 22 October 2026 at 05:01 UTC
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