Renault swings to profit in first half despite intense Chinese competition

PARIS, July 29 (Reuters) - Renault swung back to a profit in the first half of 2026 versus a large one-off loss in the same period last year, with electric vehicle sales up sharply despite intense competition from expanding Chinese brands.

The French carmaker on Wednesday reported first-half revenue of 30.25 billion euros ($34.43 billion), up 9.4% from 27.64 billion euros a year earlier. The company posted a net profit of 700 million euros versus a 11.14 billion euro loss in the same period of 2025.

Analysts had expected revenue of 29.4 billion euros and a net profit of 770 million euros for the six-month period. 

($1 = 0.8787 euros)

(Reporting By Gilles Guillaume; writing by Nick Carey; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)