Hera Group acquires EstEnergy shares from Ascopiave and increases its holding to 100% of share capital
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The year closed with a 4% increase in net profit attributable to shareholders and a 20% rise in investments. Value creation for all stakeholders and a solid capital structure once again confirm the Group’s ability to combine business growth with sustainable development. The proposed dividend increases to 16 euro cents per share, up 6.7%

Economic and financial highlights
- Revenues at €12,812.2 million (-0.6%)
- EBITDA at €1,537.2 million (-3.2%)
- Net profit attributable to shareholders at €464.3 million (+3.9% on a like-for-like basis compared with FY2024, which benefited from extraordinary items of €47.8 million)
- Gross operating investments of €1,028 million (+19.5%)
- Net financial debt slightly down to €3,944.4 million, with net debt/EBITDA at 2.57x
- ROI at 9.6% and ROE at 11.6%
- Proposed dividend increased to 16 euro cents per share (+6.7%)
Business highlights
- Around 4.4 million energy customers, with over 7.5 million citizens receiving at least one service from the Group
- Innovative initiatives continued to support the communities served in the ecological transition and strengthen the resilience of managed assets, in line with the Business Plan and the Net Zero target by 2050
- Shared-value EBITDA rose to €915.6 million (+7%), while shared-value investments amounted to €810.9 million (78% of total investments). 64% of investments are aligned with the European Taxonomy.
- Economic added value distributed across the areas served exceeded €2.1 billion
The Board of Directors of the Hera Group, chaired by Executive Chairman Cristian Fabbri, unanimously approved the Annual Financial Report as at 31 December 2025, including the Sustainability Reporting pursuant to Directive (EU) 2022/2464 (CSRD), containing the information necessary to understand the company’s impact on sustainability matters and how those matters affect its performance and results. In 2025, the Hera Group continued along its path of industrial growth, with investments up by almost 20%, increasing across all businesses and particularly in the environment and integrated water cycle areas. The Group’s commitment to combining business growth and sustainable development, fully in line with the strategic pillars set out in the Business Plan, was confirmed. The economic and balance sheet results in fact highlight the value creation capability underpinning the Group’s growth.
Cristian Fabbri, Executive Chairman of Hera Group:

“The positive results achieved in 2025 bring to a close the three-year term of office of the Board of Directors, a period marked by strong geopolitical instability and extreme weather events, which also had an impact on the businesses we manage. Despite this context, we accelerated industrial growth by investing almost €3 billion, 43% more than in the previous three-year period, improving the resilience of our assets and our contribution to environmental sustainability. We achieved significant results, confirming the validity of the direction taken by our Group and demonstrating that business growth, value creation and sustainable development can go hand in hand. Over these three years, EBITDA has grown by almost 20%, while net profit attributable to shareholders has grown continuously, up 44% overall. The cash flows generated enabled us to reduce debt and improve financial leverage. Total Shareholder Return increased overall by 77%, supported by 27% growth in dividends. At the same time, the economic value distributed to our stakeholders also increased significantly, exceeding €2.1 billion in 2025. In light of the positive results achieved and the financial strength of our Group, we will propose to the Shareholders’ Meeting the distribution of a dividend of 16 euro cents per share, up 6.7% on the last dividend paid. This increase will feed through to our dividend policy over the coming years, up to a dividend of 19 euro cents in 2029, as set out in our Business Plan.”
Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group:
"In 2025, against a complex macroeconomic backdrop, the Hera Group continued along its industrial development path, increasing investments by 20% to €1.028 billion, the highest level in Hera’s history. These investments were fully self-financed thanks to the significant cash generation achieved during the year and provide a solid foundation for the future development of our Group. At EBITDA level, which reached €1.537 billion, 2025 demonstrated our ability to turn the extraordinary opportunities of previous years into structural and sustainable growth. Net finance costs decreased compared with the previous year, confirming our ongoing commitment to the efficient rationalisation of financial resources. Accordingly, in 2025 as well, the Hera Group confirmed its ability to create value, reporting net profit attributable to shareholders of €464.3 million (+3.9%). In summary, the year closed on a positive note, with a further strengthening of our financial and economic solidity, as evidenced by a net debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.57x, which provides us with significant financial flexibility to pursue effectively the objectives set out in the Business Plan. A recent example is the acquisition of the Sostelia Group, a company with more than 1,200 customers, which positions us as a leader also in the market segment for the treatment of civil and industrial wastewater, further expanding our range of services in support of Italy’s industrial fabric".
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Hera Group acquires EstEnergy shares from Ascopiave and increases its holding to 100% of share capital
Following Ascopiave’s decision to exercise its option to sell its 25% stake in EstEnergy, Hera Comm becomes the sole shareholder of the largest energy operator in the Northeastern Italy

The Hera Group, acting through its subsidiary Hera Comm, and Ascopiave signed the deed by which the latter transfers 25% of the share capital of EstEnergy, a commercial joint venture established in 2019 which is the largest energy operator in the Northeastern Italy.
The Hera Group’s holding in EstEnergy thus rises to 100%, while Ascopiave concludes its withdrawal from the company, after selling an initial 8% in 2022 and a further 15% in 2023. The possibility of dilating the withdrawal over time was a value for both companies, since it allowed Ascopiave’s local roots to be enhanced alongside Hera’s industrial approach to managing sales activities. The customer base’s economic fundamentals thus significantly improved, expressing synergies and opportunities for the supply of value-added services and laying solid foundations for further growth in margins.
In five years, by rationalising the number of companies and renewing IT systems, it has been possible to improve the quality of customer relations by combining the local nature of this relationship with a commercial approach in line with the best standards. This has led to increased and reinforced contact channels and types of energy solutions for customers, with the aim of supporting them along the road to decarbonisation.
The transaction formalised today, whose value came to approximately 232 million euro, results from Ascopiave exercising the put option for its shareholding in the company, as defined in the agreements signed between the parties when the partnership was established. This amount will be paid within July 2025, at the same time as the transfer of the shares.
This transaction, in fact, follows up in full on the agreements made in 2019, which were therefore already fully reflected in the Hera Group’s net financial position. The early exercise of the put option, with respect to its natural maturity, entails a potential prospective benefit in the income statement, deriving from the Hera Group’s lower financing costs compared to the notional accounting rate applied to the value of the put option.
The Hera Group thus further strengthens its position as Italy's third operator in the energy sector, reaching 4.7 million electricity and gas customers.
This transaction will enable the Ascopiave Group, whose partnership with the Hera Group continues through its shareholdings in Hera Comm and Acantho, to improve the sustainability of its capital structure, in line with the goals set out in its strategic plan and contributing to the financial coverage of investments in core and diversification activities.
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