Helsinki stocks traded lower today even as several of the country’s biggest companies reported strong full-year results. By early afternoon, the OMX Helsinki 25 was down 0.2 percent, with heavyweights moving mostly in the red.
Sampo shares fell about 2.5 percent, Konecranes dropped more than 6 percent, Neste slid 5 percent, and Kesko declined nearly 5 percent. Metsä Board was the exception, rising close to 3 percent despite weak earnings.
The market reaction contrasted with Sampo’s operational performance. The insurer delivered an underwriting result of EUR 1.49 billion, with CEO Morten Thorsrud saying the company “delivered another year of consistent execution of our organic growth strategy.” The board proposed a EUR 0.36 dividend, up 6 percent.
Konecranes posted record profitability, with a comparable EBITA margin of 14.0 percent. CEO Marko Tulokas said, “Our comparable EBITA margin reached its highest annual level ever,” supported by strong execution and pricing.
Neste showed a clear turnaround after a difficult start to the year. “The year 2025 marked a turning point for Neste,” CEO Heikki Malinen said, as comparable EBITDA rose to EUR 1.68 billion and free cash flow turned strongly positive.
Kesko reported steady improvement across all divisions, while Metsä Board remained loss-making, citing weak demand and overcapacity. CEO Esa Kaikkonen said the company is now focused on “solutions that we can control” as it pushes ahead with its transformation program.
Overall, the results highlighted resilient earnings quality, even as investors locked in profits on a cautious market day.
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