"We are satisfied with reporting growth and margin improvement in a challenging market. The results are delivered with a flat number of consultants, while there was one workday more in the first quarter of this year compared to 2024," says CEO of Webstep Kristine Lund.

The short-term market conditions are volatile, as the extraordinary geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty reduces visibility. The activity in the energy and public sectors has so far been less impacted by the macro softness. 

"With a significant exposure to the energy sector, our regional offices grew revenue by 10.6 per cent, compared to a decline of 2.5 percent in Oslo. Looking ahead, our revenue visibility is significantly shorter than normal. Customers are hesitant to initiate new projects, and take longer to make investment decisions. At the same time, there is still a significant demand for support for digitalisation and efficiency improvements driven by data and insight. The activity within the energy sector remains consistently strong," states Kristine Lund.

While Webstep's rolling 12 months EBIT margin is at its highest level since Q2 2022, Webstep continues to focus on further enhancing growth and profitability.

"Webstep is positioned as a provider of high-competence senior consultants, and we continue to sharpen this profile. With a strong team, and a healthy cost base we are well positioned to weather the challenging market and move our strategy forward. Our potential is substantial and our goal of more than 10 per cent EBIT margin combined with a healthy top-line growth stands firm," states Kristine Lund.