K&S Stock: Share Price Drops Amid Challenging Outlook

Fertilizer manufacturer K&S experienced a significant decline in trading, with shares dropping 1.2% to €13.08 in morning XETRA trading, later extending losses to a low of €13.01. The negative trend follows the company's annual financial report, which revealed a 5% decrease in revenue to €3.7 billion and a reduction in operating profit by approximately one-fifth to €558 million. Despite slightly exceeding market expectations, investors responded disappointingly to the broadly framed forecast for the 2025 fiscal year. The current price sits well below the 52-week high of €15.15 reached on April 6, 2024, requiring a 15.83% increase to regain that level. Analysts remain cautiously optimistic, setting an average price target of €11.32, while shareholders should prepare for a reduced dividend of €0.243 per share compared to last year's €0.700.

Changes in Shareholder Structure

Parallel to the stock performance challenges, K+S is experiencing notable shifts in its shareholder composition. The Goldman Sachs Group recently adjusted its stake in the Kassel-based company, with voting rights now at 9.88%, down from the previously reported 10.04%. The investment bank directly holds only 0.04% of voting rights, while controlling the majority through financial instruments including call options, recall rights, and various derivative products. Goldman Sachs International alone accounts for 6.42% of the total stake. The company has also announced that its annual financial report for the current fiscal year will be published on March 12, 2026, in both German and English on the corporate website.