Thales expects 2026 organic sales growth to finish in the upper portion of its existing 6% to 7% range, possibly above it, as nine-month orders climbed 15% organically.
The French group said Oct. 22 that it was keeping its formal financial targets. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, sales totaled €16.422 billion, up 7.6% on a reported basis and 8.1% organically. Order intake reached €19.122 billion, increasing 14% on a reported basis. Thales calculates organic growth after adjusting for changes in business scope and exchange rates.
Defense orders rose 14% organically to €11.315 billion, while aerospace orders advanced 29% to €5.011 billion. Defense sales increased 13% organically to €9.358 billion, and aerospace sales rose 4.0% organically to €4.237 billion.
Thales linked stronger defense bookings to higher military-equipment spending in its main markets. It said demand included naval systems, effectors, air surveillance and air defense. Institutional customers helped sustain activity in the space business, the company said; it counted seven space orders worth more than €100 million each.
The group booked 29 orders valued above €100 million apiece, worth €7.570 billion combined, up 42% from the same period of 2025. Eleven came in the third quarter. The orders included a Romanian Ministry of Defence purchase of 12 GM200 MM/A radars and a third-quarter order worth about €500 million related to a European low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation. Thales also listed work for Australian Navy vessel maintenance and France’s program to develop four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
Thales kept its 2026 adjusted EBIT margin target at 12.6% to 12.8%, its book-to-bill target above 1.1 and its operating free cash flow conversion target at 100% to 110%. Its release lists an update on first-quarter 2027 sales and order intake for Apr. 28, 2027.
