China helps Italy's Brembo to defy auto industry weakness

MILAN (Reuters) -Italian premium brake maker Brembo on Tuesday posted moderate gains in first-half core earnings and revenue, with its Asian markets and its business helping to maintain older vehicles helping to counter a darker outlook for the automotive sector.

As earnings of several major automakers have shown, including Stellantis, Porsche and Mercedes, the automotive market went through a contraction in the first part of the year, while a recovery looks still uncertain for the months ahead.

"The market is really struggling, including in its premium segment," Executive Chairman Matteo Tiraboschi said in a post-earnings interview with Reuters.

"With this background, increasing revenue and preserving profitability was an achievement".

Brembo's shares were up 3.8% as of 1515 GMT, reversing earlier losses.

Brembo's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 2.1% to 351.4 million euros ($381 million) for the six months to June 30.

Its revenue rose 2.8% to top 2 billion euros for the first time, led by 7.2% growth in China and 21.1% growth in India.

"Asia is a key area for us, with a protracted growth, mainly with China but not only with China," Tiraboschi said. "India is very important too, especially for the motorbike segment".

Brembo's first half EBITDA margin came in at 17.5%, broadly unchanged from 17.6% a year earlier.

Tiraboschi said the aftermarket business also supported Brembo's results.

"(Car) sales going down mean fewer people changing their cars and more of them doing maintenance," he said. "So the after market is bringing benefits".

The Bergamo-based group, whose clients include automakers such as Tesla, BMW, and Chinese EV giant BYD, reiterated its full-year forecasts for moderate revenue growth and stable margins. ($1 = 0.9233 euros)

(Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli and Giulio PiovaccariEditing by Cristina Carlevaro and Keith Weir)