Hera BoD approves 1Q 2021 results
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Development, resource regeneration, carbon neutrality, resilience, and the creation of shared value for all stakeholders are reconfirmed as the strategic axes underpinning the new Plan

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN TO 2029
- Gross five-year investments of 5.5 billion euros
- 9.3% return on net invested capital
- EBITDA growth to 1.76 billion euros
- Net profit for Shareholders at 519 million euros, a structural increase* averaging around 6% per year
- Dividend rises 27% (up to 19 eurocents per share)
- Net debt/EBITDA steadily below 3x over the plan period, expected at 2.6x in 2029
BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS
- Maintaining a balanced portfolio of regulated and free-market activities, capable of generating resilient results, and the ability to seize emerging opportunities
- 2.9 billion euros in investments aligned with the European Taxonomy for sustainable investments (95% of those eligible)
- Shared value operating investments amounting to 77% of the entire five-year plan
- 30% increase over the plan period in shared value EBITDA (CSV), which reaches 68% of the EBITDA in 2029
- 35% reduction in total CO2 emissions by 2029 (compared to 2019) to reach Net Zero by 2050
- With reference to total investments, 48% will contribute to increasing the resilience of infrastructures, 35% will be allocated to resource regeneration projects and 24% to pursuing carbon neutrality objectives, while 26% will be directed to digitisation and innovation, to achieve the Group's environmental, social and economic objectives
- Over 11.5 billion euros in economic value distributed over the five-year period 2025-2029 to stakeholders in the areas in which the Group operates
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025 PRELIMINARY RESULTS
- EBITDA over 1.53 billion euros
- Net profit for Shareholders exceeding 460 million euros, up 4%
- Net debt/EBITDA ratio less than 2.6x
- Expected dividend of 16 eurocents (+6.7% compared to 2024), higher than expected in the previous Plan
The Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Executive Chairman Cristian Fabbri, has reviewed the 2025 preliminary results and approved the Business Plan to 2029.
Cristian Fabbri, Executive Chairman of Hera Group:

“The new Business Plan confirms our commitment to creating value for all stakeholders. The 5.5 billion euros investment plan, up by around 40% compared to the last five years, supports, also through innovation, sustainable industrial development and the increased resilience of our infrastructures and will allow us to target an EBITDA of 1.76 billion euros by 2029. The improvement in the objectives of the new Business Plan and the positive economic and financial forecasts for the 2025 results allow us to revise the dividend policy upwards by proposing an increase of approximately 7% already from the next dividend, up to 27% in 2029 with a dividend of 19 eurocents per share. The economic value distributed over the 5 years to stakeholders in the areas in which we operate and the contribution of sustainable activities to the Group's EBITDA, which will reach 68%, are also growing to 11.5 billion euros.”
Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group:
"We expect to close 2025 with an EBITDA of more than 1.53 billion euros and a profit attributable to shareholders of more than 0.46 billion euros. Results supported by the growth of all businesses in the portfolio, despite the absence of temporary opportunities that had been seized in 2024. This performance made it possible to finance an increase in capital expenditures while maintaining a net debt/EBITDA ratio of less than 2.6x. This financial flexibility allows us to support investments in the green transition and industrial development. The capital expenditures, earmarked for both regulated and liberalised businesses, will fuel organic growth and will be financed by strong cash generation, which will allow us to maintain a financial leverage in 2029 in line with that of the expected closure in 2025, reconfirming financial soundness and creating additional flexibility to be able to seize future new opportunities".
BUSINESS PLAN TO 2029
Development, resource regeneration, carbon neutrality, resilience and the creation of tangible and sustainable value for the benefit of all stakeholders are reconfirmed as the strategic axes of the new Plan, which also leverages innovation and digitalisation to support the achievement of the Group’s environmental, social and economic objectives. The increasing investments planned over the five-year period, mainly earmarked for development, will also make it possible to further strengthen the assets managed, also to cope with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events related to climate change.
Value creation with the aim of reaching 1.76 billion euros of EBITDA by 2029 with a net profit attributable to Shareholders growing to approximately 520 million euros
The Plan's projects promote structural growth of approximately 350 million euros with an average annual growth rate of around 5%. This growth more than offsets the loss of approximately 180 million euros in non-recurring business opportunities (compared to 2024) and achieves a total EBITDA of 1,760 million euros by 2029, up by 60 million euros compared to the previous Plan target for 2028.
Organic development, which contributes approximately 250 million euros, is the main lever and is fuelled by the development capex plan, both in regulated and liberalised businesses, by commercial development and by the continuous search for efficiencies. Organic growth is also supported by innovative technologies and plant solutions and the use of artificial intelligence.
Focus on sustainable development with a constant growth of shared-value EBITDA, equal to 68% of total EBITDA
The Hera Group has planned initiatives with adequate profitability, consistent with the economic and financial balance and which, in parallel, guarantee to amplify the creation of sustainable value.
Keeping the focus on decarbonisation, circular economy, resilience and innovation, an important evolution of the EBITDA at shared value is expected, which in 2029 will reach 68% of the Group's EBITDA. Over the five-year period, the shared-value EBITDA will increase by 30%, reflecting the growing weight of initiatives that, in addition to contributing to the development of the company, are in line with the objectives of the UN Agenda and with the development of the territory and communities.
Gross investments of 5.5 billion euros with an expected leverage of 2.6x in 2029
During the period 2025-2029, the Business Plan foresees gross investments of 5.5 billion euros, a financial commitment 6% higher than the previous strategic document and 39% higher than the total resources invested in the last 5 years. In addition to the 5 billion euros of investments directly financed by the Hera Group, there are almost 500 million euros of contributions from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) resources and other institutions (PNIISSI, FONI, etc.).
Regulated businesses will absorb 63% of the investment plan (with 3.1 billion allocated to networks, which are confirmed as the most capital-intensive business), while the remaining 37% will fuel the growth of liberalised businesses. Most of the investments (55% or 3 billion) will be for development, while the remaining 2.5 billion will be for maintenance.
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Hera BoD approves 1Q 2021 results
The consolidated quarterly report at 31 March shows further improvement in all main operating and financial indicators, with financial solidity confirmed as a strong point, as has also been recently highlighted by the upgraded rating given by S&P’s, now BBB+ with a stable outlook

Financial highlights
- Revenues at 2,271.8 million euro (+10.5%)
- Ebitda at 362.0 million euro (+3.7%)
- Net profit for Shareholders at 132.2 million euro (+6.3%)
- Net financial debt shows strong improvement, now at 3,077.6 million euro, and net debt/Ebitda ratio falls to 2.71x
Operating highlights
- Good contribution to growth coming from the Group’s main businesses, the energy sectors and waste management in particular
- Solid energy customer base, now reaching almost 3.4 million
- Further development in initiatives for the circular economy, with aspects including state of the art plants and increasingly green services for companies and citizens
The Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated results for the first quarter of 2021, with all main operating and financial indicators improving, compared to the same period in the previous year, thanks to the Group’s solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business strategy and a good operating, financial and fiscal management. The energy sectors and the waste management area made a particularly important contribution. Also note the additional improvement in financial solidity, with a strong reduction in net financial debt.
At 31 March 2021, the number of energy customers reached almost 3.4 million, thanks to factors including marketing initiatives and reinforced value-added services, from “green” offers to the sale and installation of LED devices, smart boilers and thermostats, as well as energy diagnoses, contracts for energy services, systems and targeted upgrading projects. The acquisition in September 2020 of the company Wölmann, which operates in the photovoltaic panel installation sector, is also part of this context and represents the main change in scope of operations compared to the first quarter of the previous year.
Revenues reach approximately 2.3 billion (+10.5%)
In the first quarter of 2021, revenues amounted to 2,271.8 million, up 10.5% compared to the 2,055.8 million seen in the same period of 2020. This result was sustained in particular by the energy sectors, with higher revenues from trading, higher volumes of gas sold and an increase in the price of electricity, in addition to the heat management business and activities involving value-added services for customers. Revenues from district heating and regulated network services also increased, as did those from the waste management area, thanks to energy production and a higher amount of waste treated.
Ebitda rises to 362.0 million (+3.7%)
Ebitda rose from 349.2 million in the first quarter of 2020 to 362.0 million at 31 March 2021, showing a 12.8 million (+3.7%) increase. This growth is due in particular to the performance achieved in the energy areas, which grew by 12.3 million overall, mainly due to higher sales margins and trading. Positive contributions also came from the waste management area and other services, while the water cycle saw a slight fall.
Operating result and pre-tax profit increase
Ebit rose, amounting to 223.1 million at 31 March 2021, up from 211.7 million in the same period of 2020 (+5.4%). Financial operations were largely unchanged, at 28.8 million, with an increase in charges for tax credit sales as part of ecobonus-related activities, offset by higher income for late payment indemnities on credits in the “last resort” markets. Pre-tax profit rose to 194.3 million (+6.2%).
Net profit for shareholders grows to 132.2 million (+6.3%)
Thanks to an improved tax rate, coming to 27.8% compared to 28.8% in the first quarter of 2020, driven by the Group’s commitment to making investments in technological, digital and environmental transformation with an eye to Utility 4.0, net profit at 31 March 2021 reached 140.3 million, up 7.7% compared to the 130.3 million seen in the same period of 2020. Profit pertaining to Group shareholders also rose to 132.2 million, up 6.3% compared to the 124.4 million seen in the same period of 2020.
Operating investments rise and net financial debt improves significantly
Net operating investments were up significantly, from 91.5 million at 31 March 2020 to 112.6 million (+23.1%) in the first quarter of 2021, and were mainly related to work on plants, networks and infrastructures, with investments in gas distribution concerning the large-scale meter replacement, and in the purification and sewerage area.
Thanks in particular to the positive contribution coming from operational management during the quarter, a strong improvement was also seen in net financial debt, which stood at 3,077.6 million, compared to 3,227.0 million at 31 December 2020, down by approximately 150 million. Thanks to the double leverage provided by increased Ebitda and decreased net financial debt, the net debt/Ebitda ratio further improved to 2.71x, both compared to the same quarter last year (2.93x) and to the figure seen at the end of 2020 (2.87x).
This data once again confirms the Group’s financial solidity, which also appears in the opinions released by major rating agencies, in particular the recent upgrade by Standard & Poor’s to BBB+ with a stable outlook.
| Profit & Loss (m€) | 31/03/2021 | Inc. % | 31/03/2020 | Inc. % | Ch. | Ch. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 2,271.8 | 2,055.8 | +216.0 | +10.5% | ||
| Other operating revenues | 100.7 | 4.4% | 109.0 | 5.3% | (8.3) | (7.6%) |
| Raw material | (1,209.7) | (53.2%) | (1,035.4) | (50.4%) | +174.3 | +16.8% |
| Services costs | (646.9) | (28.5%) | (627.2) | (30.5%) | +19.7 | +3.1% |
| Other operating expenses | (17.1) | (0.8%) | (12.5) | (0.6%) | +4.6 | +36.8% |
| Personnel costs | (150.1) | (6.6%) | (147.3) | (7.2%) | +2.8 | +1.9% |
| Capitalisations | 13.3 | 0.6% | 6.8 | 0.3% | +6.5 | +94.9% |
| Ebitda | 362.0 | 15.9% | 349.2 | 17.0% | +12.8 | +3.7% |
| Depreciation and provisions | (138.9) | (6.1%) | (137.5) | (6.7%) | +1.4 | +1.0% |
| Ebit | 223.1 | 9.8% | 211.7 | 10.3% | +11.4 | +5.4% |
| Financial inc./(exp.) | (28.8) | (1.3%) | (28.7) | (1.4%) | +0.1 | +0.3% |
| Pre tax profit | 194.3 | 8.6% | 183.0 | 8.9% | +11.3 | +6.2% |
| Taxes | (54.0) | (2.4%) | (52.7) | (2.6%) | +1.3 | +2.5% |
| Net profit | 140.3 | 6.2% | 130.3 | 6.3% | +10.0 | +7.7% |
| Attributable to: | ||||||
| Shareholders of the Parent Company | 132.2 | 5.8% | 124.4 | 6.0% | +7.8 | +6.3% |
| Minority shareholders | 8.1 | 0.4% | 5.9 | 0.3% | +2.2 | +37.2% |
| Balance Sheet (m€) | 31/03/2021 | Inc.% | 31/12/2020 | Inc.% | Ch. | Ch. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net fixed assets | 6,993.3 | 109.6% | 6,983.6 | 109.4% | +9.7 | +0.1% |
| Working capital | 44.6 | 0.7% | 53.6 | 0.8% | (9.0) | (16.8%) |
| (Provisions) | (657.5) | (10.3%) | (654.9) | (10.2%) | (2.6) | +0.4% |
| Net invested capital | 6,380.4 | 100.0% | 6,382.3 | 100.0% | (1.9) | (0.0%) |
| Net equity | 3,302.8 | 51.8% | 3,155.3 | 49.4% | +147.5 | +4.7% |
| Long term net financial debt | 3,576.5 | 56.0% | 3,617.1 | 56.7% | (40.6) | (1.1%) |
| Short term net financial debt | (498.9) | (7.8%) | (390.1) | (6.1%) | (108.8) | +27.9% |
| Net financial debts | 3,077.6 | 48.2% | 3,227.0 | 50.6% | (149.4) | (4.6%) |
| Net invested capital | 6,380.4 | 100.0% | 6,382.3 | 100.0% | (1.9) | (0.0%) |