Shares in Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems surged more than 20% after the company raised its full-year profit guidance and announced a â¬400 million share buyback, signaling a sharp recovery for the wind industry.
Vestas said turbine orders jumped to 3.35 gigawatts (GW) worth â¬3.4 billion in the second quarter, up from 2 GW worth â¬2.2 billion a year earlier. Its total turbine backlog has now reached 32.5 GW, valued at â¬36 billion.
The company reported adjusted operating profit of â¬446 million for the quarter, compared with just â¬57 million a year earlier. Its operating margin reached 9.4%, putting Vestas close to its long-term target of a 10% margin.
All of the orders booked during the quarter were for onshore turbines, while offshore orders remain more volatile because projects are larger and take longer to develop.
Vestas said the improvement reflects stronger demand for wind projects as governments and developers become more willing to pay higher prices for new capacity. The industry has also benefited from easing supply-chain pressures and a recovery in turbine manufacturers’ profitability following a difficult period in 2022 and 2023.
The â¬400 million buyback is the latest in a series of shareholder returns announced as Vestas recovers from years of rising costs and supply-chain disruptions.
Vestas remains the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer by installed capacity, although Chinese competitors have overtaken it in annual turbine deliveries.