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Husqvarna Group: INTERIM REPORT JANUARY – JUNE 2026

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STOCKHOLM, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —

Challenging market conditions in Europe, while solid growth in North America

Second quarter 2026

Net sales decreased organically by 4%.Net sales declined by 6% to SEK 14,383m (15,277), and included an impact of -2% from changes in exchange rates.Operating income amounted to SEK 1,600m (2,063) and the operating margin was 11.1% (13.5).Items affecting comparability (IAC) amounted to SEK -349m. These were primarily related to the execution of cost-saving initiatives, as well as a write-down associated with the Brastad factory.Excluding IAC, operating income amounted to SEK 1,950m (2,041), and the operating margin was 13.6% (13.4).IEEPA-related tariff refunds of SEK 240m were recognized in COGS.Earnings per share (EPS) after dilution amounted to SEK 1.80 (2.76) and EPS excluding IAC and after dilution amounted to SEK 2.27 (2.73).Free operating cash flow was SEK 3,903m (2,459).Net debt was SEK 11.8bn (12.3).

January – June 2026

Net sales declined organically by 1%.Net sales declined by 5% to SEK 28,344m (29,981), and included an impact of -4% from changes in exchange rates.Operating income amounted to SEK 3,311m (3,594) and the operating margin was 11.7% (12.0).Items affecting comparability (IAC) amounted to SEK -357m. These were primarily related to the execution of cost-saving initiatives, as well as a write-down associated with the Brastad factory.Excluding IAC, operating income amounted to SEK 3,667m (3,602), and the operating margin was 12.9% (12.0).Earnings per share (EPS) after dilution amounted to SEK 3.85 (4.45) and EPS excluding IAC and after dilution amounted to SEK 4.32 (4.46).Free operating cash flow was SEK 2,766m (2,329).

CEO Comment

Following a solid start to the year, with strong sell-in to channel partners supported by successful product launches, trading conditions were challenging in the second quarter. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and weak consumer sentiment continued to weigh on demand, while unfavorable weather in Europe during the first six weeks of the quarter further slowed sell-out and replenishment. North America continued its recovery, delivering solid growth across most product categories.

European weakness impacted performance

In the quarter, net sales amounted to SEK 14,383m (15,277), corresponding to organic growth of -4% compared with a strong second quarter last year. The decline was primarily driven by an 11% organic sales decrease in the Gardena Division and a 3% decline in the Husqvarna Forest & Garden Division, while the Husqvarna Construction Division delivered organic growth of 5%.

Operating income, excluding IAC, amounted to SEK 1,950m (2,041), with the margin improving to 13.6% (13.4). The result included IEEPA-related tariff refunds of SEK 240m. Excluding the tariff refunds, earnings were impacted by lower sales volumes, continued inflationary pressure, higher raw material and logistics costs, as well as negative currency effects.

Free operating cash flow improved to SEK 3,903m (2,459), driven by reductions in working capital. Our financial position remained solid and we reduced net debt to SEK 11.8bn (12.3).

Accelerating savings and operational excellence

While we continue to make progress with our cost savings program, and we have now reached run-rate savings of approximately SEK 630m, with a quarterly contribution of SEK 385m, the benefits are not yet enough to fully offset the external headwinds we face. We are therefore raising our ambition and now target savings of SEK 3 billion by end of 2028.

During the year, we have closed several warehouses in Europe within the Construction Division, while additional consolidation initiatives are underway across the Group. We also completed our first Group-wide transportation tender, reducing our supplier base by two-thirds and leveraging the Group’s scale.

During the quarter, we announced the planned discontinuation of our non-core stone diamond tools business within the Husqvarna Construction Division. In Gardena, we are accelerating the turnaround plans as presented at our Capital Market Day in December, into a strategic review of the Powered Garden Business Portfolio Unit (BPU). We are strengthening OEM partnerships across the portfolio to support a more asset-light and flexible operating model, while implementing a leaner organization with clearer roles and accountability.

We are also optimizing our manufacturing footprint. During the quarter, we initiated the process to consolidate parts of Gardena’s German production into our Czech facilities, enabling us to leverage the strengths of each site and use our manufacturing network more efficiently.

Executing on our transformation agenda in a challenging environment

We recently announced changes to our Group Management team and are pleased to welcome four new members. Our new Chief Financial Officer, Chief Procurement Officer, and President of the Husqvarna Construction Division will join in the third quarter, followed by our new Chief Information Officer at the end of the year. They bring fresh perspectives, new capabilities, and valuable experience that will strengthen our foundation and help accelerate performance.

While external headwinds are expected to persist, we remain committed to our transformation towards profitable growth. Supported by our strong portfolio of brands and products, a continued focus on operational excellence, strategic portfolio management, and an enhanced aftermarket offering, we are confident in our ability to create customer value and deliver profitable growth over the long term.

Glen Instone, CEO

Webcast presentation and telephone conference

A webcast presentation of the Q2 interim report hosted by Glen Instone, CEO and Terry Burke, CFO will be held at 9:00 CEST on July 17, 2026.

To view the presentation, please use the link.

The dial-in to the telephone conference (to ask questions):

+46 (0) 8 505 100 31 (Sweden) or +44 203 059 58 63

Contact

Emelie Alm, Vice President, Investor Relations
+46 70 514 64 14

Husqvarna AB (publ), P.O. Box 7454, SE-103 92 Stockholm
Hälsingegatan 49, +46 8 738 90 00, www.husqvarnagroup.com 

Reg. Nr: 556000-5331
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm: HUSQ A, HUSQ B

This report contains insider information that Husqvarna AB is required to disclose under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact person set out above, at 07.00 CEST on July 17, 2026.

Factors affecting forward-looking statements

This report contains forward-looking statements in the sense referred to in the American Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements comprise, among other things, financial goals, goals of future business and financial plans. These statements are based on present expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may give rise to major deviations in the result due to several aspects. These aspects include, among other things: consumer demand and market conditions in the geographical areas and lines of business in which Husqvarna operates, the effects of currency fluctuations, downward pressure on prices due to competition, a material reduction in sales by important distributors, success in developing new products and in marketing, outcome of product responsibility litigation, progress in terms of reaching the goals set for productivity and efficient use of capital, successful identification of growth opportunities and acquisition objects, integration of these into the existing business and successful achievement of goals for making the supply chain more efficient.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/husqvarna-group/r/interim-report-january—june-2026,c4375547

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Interim Report Q2 2026 Husqvarna Group

 

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Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Technology

Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

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CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

CHANDIGARH, India, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar, has been named the “Punjab State Topper” in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program organised by Samsung in collaboration with Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and training partner Focal Skill Development (Focalyt) to equip Indian youth with industry-relevant in-demand skills in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding & Programming, preparing them for future careers.

A final-year student of Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) at University Institute of Computing (UIC) of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar also won a cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with a laptop, and exclusive Samsung rewards for achieving this remarkable milestone under the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program.

 “Being named ‘AI State Topper’ was a moment of profound pride and validation for me. Hard work, intense technical training and a passion for AI culminated in the immense honor of the Punjab State Topper title. Besides getting access to state-of-the-art tools to fuel my future research and development endeavor, I gained world-class knowledge during the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program. It helped me in gaining hands-on experience and applied AI to solve real-world challenges, especially in aeronautical and technical domains,”

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

“Our team developed the advanced AI-powered system AI Research Agent, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform designed for intelligent querying of private document collections. Organizations, researchers, legal professionals, and HR teams often work with large collections of documents. Traditional search methods rely heavily on keyword matching and require significant manual effort to locate relevant information. The project was developed to address the limitations of traditional document search systems, which often struggle with contextual understanding, retrieval accuracy, learning adaptability, and response speed,” said Devesh.

 “The developed system demonstrated significant improvements over traditional document retrieval approaches with faster response generation with integration of modern AI techniques, full-stack development, database systems, and intelligent automation into a single practical solution.  By combining modern RAG architecture with innovative retrieval and reasoning mechanisms, this system provides a fast, intelligent, and user-friendly solution for knowledge discovery and resume evaluation. This project not only enhanced our technical expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Full-Stack Development but also strengthened our problem-solving, teamwork, and professional communication skills. It stands as a significant achievement of our Samsung Innovation Campus 2025 journey and reflects our commitment to building impactful AI solutions for real-world challenges,” he added.

Congratulating Devesh Panwar for being named “Punjab State Topper” AI under the Samsung Innovation Campus Samsung Innovation Program, Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University, said, “Devesh’s achievement reflects Chandigarh University’s focus on experiential learning and industry-academia collaboration.  Through the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program, CU students gain practical exposure to AI and building solutions for real-world challenges. This accomplishment reflects not only Devesh’s commitment to excellence but also the growing culture of innovation and industry-oriented learning at Chandigarh University,”.

“Since its inception, Chandigarh University has set benchmarks for world-class education with its dynamic hands-on experiential learning model, industry-aligned programs, dynamic fraternity, state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and impeccable placements. Samsung Innovation Program is also part of our initiatives to develop a future-ready talent pool equipped with advanced capabilities in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding and Programming. By bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, this collaboration helps in providing CU’s computer science and computing students exposure to cutting-edge and emerging technologies.  CU’s this partnership with Samsung is focused on building future-ready talent equipped with industry-relevant skills in AI and emerging technologies,” Sandhu said.

He said Chandigarh University’s Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. “Chandigarh University carries a vision of crafting next-gen IT professionals who can take up industry challenges effectively and our Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology.  UIC’s hands-on approach paves the way for a smooth transition to the workforce after graduation. Our students are equipped with the best knowledge, skills and passion to succeed in any number of computing careers.   CU’s Institute of Computing renders cutting-edge education ranging from the expertise in traditional software development -to- modern computing technologies. Fully-equipped industry-sponsored labs, industry-aligned curriculum, and accreditations and validations by top companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Google Android, Red Hat etc. give our students an exclusive edge over others,” the Chandigarh University CMD said.

Sandhu said the latest edition of QS World University Rankings has yet again reaffirmed Chandigarh University global standing as a top educational institution. “Continuing its remarkable rise among the world’s leading higher education institutions, Chandigarh University (CU) has made impressive strides in the latest edition of prestigious QS World University Rankings 2027 by securing an overall world rank of 526, an increase of 49 ranks as compared to 575th rank in QS’ 2026 Rankings. This is for the fifth consecutive year that Chandigarh University’s global rankings have witnessed an impressive surge with CU’s world rank going up by an impressive 274 ranks — from the 800th rank in 2023 to 526th in 2027’s Rankings,”.

“As per the latest QS World University Rankings, with All India Rank of 13 among all universities in the country as compared to 16th rank in 2026’s rankings, Chandigarh University now ranks among the top 1% of universities in India and the top 2% of universities in the World, underscoring its growing reputation as a leading institution of higher learning, both in India and globally,” he added.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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