The design and engineering giant saw its stock price drop 10.5% to its lowest level since early 2021, leading losses in the Stoxx 600 index. The sell-off followed a dismal performance in the final quarter of 2025, where earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) fell to 56 million euros. For the full year, the company’s profit slid 14% to 208 million euros, while organic growth flipped from a 4.5% expansion in the previous year to a 0.5% contraction.

Restructuring and Leadership Transition

To mitigate the downturn, Arcadis eliminated 1,100 jobs throughout 2025—roughly 3% of its global workforce—with more than half of those cuts occurring in the fourth quarter. An additional 150 employees are scheduled to depart in early 2026. Outgoing CEO Alan Brookes described the year as "challenging," while his successor, Heather Polinsky, signaled a pivot toward a "high-performance culture" focused on accountability when she takes the helm in March 2026.

The downturn was driven largely by a 12% decline in new orders, particularly within the built environment division. Analysts at Jefferies attributed this slump to persistent pressure on residential real estate markets in Canada, China, and the U.K. Arcadis, which has managed high-profile contracts such as the California High-Speed Rail and New York’s post-Hurricane Sandy reconstruction, now faces the task of rebuilding its pipeline as global construction demand remains volatile.