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Hera Group approves Business Plan to 2021

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Asset Publisher

Press releases
19/06/2024
Hera Spa
Price sensitive

Hera Group ranks first in the 2024 ESG Identity Corporate Index (formerly IGI)

<p><em>For the fourth consecutive year, the Group is on the podium of the overall index ranking, which rewards Italian companies that stand out for integrating ESG factors into their governance. This comes as further recognition of the Group’s commitment to creating long-term value for its shareholders and all its stakeholders</em></p>
Online since 19-06-2024 at 11:08
Press releases
11/06/2024
Hera Spa
M&A
Price sensitive

Inrete Distribuzione Energia acquires Soelia’s gas network

<p><em>The Hera Group, through its subsidiary operating in the natural gas distribution sector, strengthens its presence in the area served</em></p>
Online since 11-06-2024 at 11:57
Press releases
15/05/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Price sensitive
Hera Spa

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting

Online since 15-05-2024 at 10:35
Press releases
15/05/2024
Price sensitive
M&A
Hera Spa

Hera Group acquires Soelia’s gas network

Through its subsidiary Inrete Distribuzione Energia, the Group was awarded the tender for the gas distribution plants and network serving the municipality of Argenta in Ferrara area

Online since 15-05-2024 at 10:38
Press releases
14/05/2024
Price sensitive
Financial Results
Hera Spa

Hera Group BoD approves results for 1Q 2024

<p>The consolidated quarterly report at 31 March shows improvement in the main operating and financial indicators. The Group’s financial solidity and commitment to sustainability and the ecological transition were confirmed, along with the creation of value for all stakeholders and significant investments in the areas served to improve our assets resilience and to guarantee service quality and continuity</p>
Online since 14-05-2024 at 12:41
Press releases
30/04/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
Price sensitive

Hera Shareholders Meeting: 2023 financial statements approved and dividend increased to 14 cents

The Group continues along its path of uninterrupted growth, closing 2023 with record performance in the main operating and financial indicators, thus constantly creating value for its stakeholders.

Online since 29-04-2024 at 12:53
Press releases
23/04/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group at the top of ARERA’s water service quality ranking

The multiutility confirms itself among Italy’s most outstanding operators, securing the first and third positions, with reference to all macro-indicators, as proof of the very high standards adopted by the Group in this field. A commitment that the Hera fulfils with significant investments to ensure the highest quality and continuity of service to around 3.6 million citizens and an increasingly efficient and circular use of resources. Important results have been achieved, particularly in Emilia-Romagna.

08/04/2024
Other press releases
Hera Spa

Publication of the Draft Separate and Consolidated Financial Statements as of 31.12.2023, the Sustainability Report - Consolidated Non-Financial Statement, the Corporate Governance Report, and the Report on Remuneration and Compensation Paid

29/03/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Rigid plastics recycling: one of Europe’s most innovative plants to be built in Modena

<p><em>Thanks to investments totalling approximately 50 million euro, the Hera Group will build a state-of-the-art facility within its own plant complex. Starting from plastic waste that has so far been difficult to recycle, it will produce high quality polymers with characteristics similar to those shown by virgin materials, thus making sectors such as consumer electronics and the automotive industry increasingly sustainable</em></p>
Press releases
27/03/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 30 April 2024

Press releases
26/03/2024
Other press releases
Hera Spa
Price sensitive
Financial Results

Hera Group approves results as at 31/12/2023

<p><em>The year closed with main financial indicators rising and the targets included in the strategic Plan to 2026 exceeded three years ahead of schedule. The Group’s financial solidity and flexibility allowed it to continue along its path of industrial growth, increasing its investments and successfully grasping market opportunities, both internal and external, while continuing to generate value benefitting all stakeholders. The proposed dividend was raised, reaching 14 eurocents per share</em></p>
Online since 26-03-2024 at 12:47
Press releases
11/03/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Green energy and a new urban forest: the Hera Group’s Energy Park arrives in Bologna

<p><em>Sustainability, decarbonisation, liveability and biodiversity protection are the keywords of this project, which will be developed in the northern part of the city and will contain a new urban park with facilities, complemented by areas dedicated to protecting animal and plant species, and an agrivoltaic field that will allow an annual saving of 6,000 tons of CO2.</em></p>
Press releases
04/03/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
Other press releases

The passing of Hera S.p.A.'s Vice Chairman, Mr. Gabriele Giacobazzi

We hereby inform you that on March 3, 2024, the Vice Chaiman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Gabriele Giacobazzi, passed away.

Press releases
13/02/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group among Europe’s leaders in sustainability and the fight against climate change

<p><em>The Group achieved the leadership band in the CDP questionnaire and was included among “TOP 1%” Multi and Water Utilities of the S&amp;P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2024. These recognitions prove Hera’s commitment to sustainable development and creating shared value for local areas.</em></p>
Press releases
06/02/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group: over 1 million new electricity customers as of 1 July

<p><em>With the 7 lots awarded in the tender for the Gradual Protection Service for non-vulnerable household customers, the Hera Group consolidates its position as the sector’s third largest operator in Italy.</em></p>
Press releases
25/01/2024
M&A
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group expands in the industrial waste sector with TRS Ecology

<p><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"></span></span></span></i>With the acquisition of 70% of the Piacenza-based company, the Group reinforces its leadership in the waste management sector. This transaction, at full capacity, is expected to contribute to growth in the Hera Group’s Ebitda with approximately 6 million euro.<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"> </span></span></span></i></p>
Press releases
24/01/2024
Price sensitive
Financial Results
Hera Spa
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Hera Group presents Business Plan to 2027

<p><em>Development, resilience and creating shared value for stakeholders are at the heart of the Group’s new strategic document, which foresees investments totalling 4.4 billion to speed up the ecological transition and enhance asset resilience to climate change. The preliminary results for 2023 outperform the previous Plan’s goals that have been achieved three years ahead of schedule, thanks to the numerous development actions implemented and the Group’s ability to grasp market opportunities.</em></p>
Online since 24-01-2024 at 12:02
Press releases
22/01/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
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Calendar of corporate events

Online since 22-01-2024 at 13:24
18/01/2024
Hera Spa
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Hera Top Employer for the 15th Consecutive Year

<p><em>The company reaffirms, once again in 2024, its position among the best performers in human resources management, thanks to substantial investments in welfare, training, and skill development.</em></p>
Press releases
02/01/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group has obtained the “Gender equality certification”

<p><em>A further confirmation of the importance of Hera’s achievements in terms of gender equality and inclusion</em></p>

Asset Publisher

10/01/2018
Hera Group approves Business Plan to 2021

Based on the forecast for year 2017, EBITDA amount reached roughly 980 million, the Group's path of growth will continue to focus on investments, innovation and agility, in order to seize the emerging opportunities in the utility sector. Internal growth will be favoured by efficiencies and by innovative and sustainable solutions, while the Group's financial soundness will allow external growth to proceed.

Operating-financial highlights

  • 2021 EBITDA: € 1,135 million (+218 million over 2016 EBITDA)
  • Overall industrial and financial investments: almost € 2.9 billion (+62% over the investments seen in the past five years)
  • Net debt/EBITDA ratio remains below 3
  • Profits/share to increase by an annual average of roughly 5% over the duration of the Plan
  • Dividends expected to keep rising, reaching 10.5 cents per share as early as 2020 (+17% over the last dividend paid)

Industrial highlights

  • The 5 strategic priorities confirmed: growth, efficiency and excellence, with an increasing focus on innovation and agility
  • Group development based on a balanced mix of internal and external (M&A) growth
  • Reconfirmation of current grants in tenders for gas distribution and urban waste collection, and confirmation of the trends of growth in the waste recycling and treatment sector, in line with the principles of a Circular Economy
  • Strategy reflects the main transitions currently underway in the sector: Circular Economy, Customer Experience, Utility 4.0
  • Objective of over 3 million energy customers at 2021, with 30,000 new gas and electricity customers acquired as of the current year and a reinforcement of commercial synergies, thanks to the recent acquisition of a further 29.5% of Hera Comm Marche
  • Shared value to reach over € 450 million

Preliminary consolidated results for 2017 show roughly 980 million in EBITDA, and a plan geared towards growth

This morning, the Hera Group's Board of Directors, which met to discuss the Business plan to 2021, also examined the preliminary consolidated results for 2017, which confirm a year-end EBITDA of roughly € 980 million, up almost 7% over the 917 million seen at 31 December 2016 and exceeding the forecast of the previous business plan. The Group's financial solidity will thus see an improvement in the net debt/EBITDA ratio, at approximately 2.6x.

On the firm basis provided by this result and by an increased financial flexibility, the Board of Directors approved the new Plan to 2021, which reflects a strong commitment to further growth in the Group's businesses, within a scenario marked by far-reaching changes.

A deeply evolving scenario

The scenario promises to be denser than ever in events that will bring about a profound evolution in almost all sectors in which the Group is active. In a framework showing clear and positive signals of economic recovery, Italian operators will be called to participate in the process, already underway thanks to the tenders for gas distribution announced by the Authority, of a significant rationalisation in the number of operators. In the waste collection sector, considering the recent transfer of power to the national Authority for energy, gas and the water service (renamed ARERA), service concession tenders which have already expired or will do so during the next five years are expected to be initiated. Other regulatory changes are also expected for segments involving protected energy service customers, intended to promote a further increase in added value for the services offered and greater competition on the marketplace. To this one must add the ongoing processes of consolidation in the energy sales and waste treatment sectors, which are currently among the most fragmentary in Europe and are, in the environmental services sector, at the root of the country's shortcomings in efficiency and infrastructures.

The investment plan and the solidity of the Group's assets

Faced with the numerous and diversified opportunities offered by the new scenario, the Plan to 2021 foresees investments amounting to almost € 2.9 billion, up roughly 400 million over the previous strategic plan. On the one hand, they will serve to fuel growth over the upcoming five years, and on the other to spark a transformation of Group businesses towards the new industrial paradigms of Circular Economy and Utility 4.0.

Over 70% of the investments expected by the Plan will in fact be dedicated to networks, partially going towards a reconfirmation of the concessions for gas distribution in the areas served, and partially to significant interventions in infrastructure modernisation and development, such as installing electronic meters, completing the Rimini seawater protection plan and upgrading the Servola and Cà Nordio purifiers. Furthermore, investments in innovative projects, such as extending smart grids to aqueducts or introducing new technologies for optimising purification sludge recovery, will allow an increase in network efficiency and a reduction in and energy and material consumption.

This investment plan proves to be sustainable from a financial point of view, thanks to a positive and rising cash generation, sufficient to cover the investments themselves and dividend payments. The Group's financial solidity, as foreseen by the Plan, expressed in a 2021 net debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.9, will potentially leave room for additional investments, used to grasp opportunities not currently included in the Plan, without jeopardising the parameters that the Group has long maintained as a reference point.

Strategy confirmed for seizing the opportunities offered by the scenario and creating shared value

The actions envisaged by the Group will be founded on its fundamental principles, efficiency, excellence, growth, innovation and agility; this set of strategic priorities has led the Group to set in place, ahead of time, the necessary preconditions to adequately deal with the changing scenario that lies ahead.

The strategy outlined in the Plan is concretely articulated according to the paradigms of a Circular Economy and the opportunities offered by Utility 4.0, through a growing digitalisation of processes, data collection and analysis and the widespread use of "intelligent" infrastructures. The Group, which has always been attentive to the issue of sustainability, in 2016 furthermore began financial reporting as to Shared Value, i.e. the portion of profits generated by projects that benefit the company and at the same time contribute to reaching the UN's 2030 Agenda (covering at least 10 of the 17 objectives indicated). In 2016 this portion accounted for roughly 30% of Group EBITDA and it is expected to rise to 40% or € 450 million overall (amounting to a 150 million increase) within 2021.

Increasing EBITDA objectives, balanced between the various business areas, between regulated and free market activities, and between internal and external growth

In view of the investment plan to be launched covering the upcoming five years, EBITDA is expected to reach € 1,135 million in 2021, with an almost 220 million increase over the 917 million recorded at the end of 2016. This growth will prove once again to be balanced between the Group's various business areas, while maintaining its current conservative risk profile thanks to the breakdown of its activity portfolio and the wider range of opportunities for growth offered by the reference scenario. A contribution to the increase in EBITDA over the duration of the Plan will indeed come from all areas (Networks, Waste and Energy), and will also be balanced between profits coming from regulated and free market activities and between internal and external growth.

As regards internal growth, a high degree of attention towards extracting efficiencies has been confirmed, as has the continuation of plans to expand in markets, with an overall contribution at 2021 of € 138 million (up 17% over the 118 million of the previous five-year plan), sustained by progress in innovation in addition to the support coming from development investments.

Further impetus towards growth will come from the lever of gas tenders, with an incremental EBITDA expected to reach 29 million through a reconfirmation of concessions in the current reference areas. For tenders involving waste collection the Plan is based on the idea of reconfirming services in the areas now served, while waiting for the future arrangements set out by the national Authority, ARERA.

Concerning external development (M&A), the Plan expects a 107 million euro contribution to growth in EBITDA over the five years in question. This contribution is in line with what the Hera Group has achieved in the past, ever since it was established, through both mergers with other multi-utilities and acquisitions of mono-business companies operating in the energy sales and waste treatment sectors. The latter have been included in the Plan only as regards the operation concerning the Aliplast Group, carried out in 2017 (through the subsidiary company Herambiente, Hera now holds 80% of this Group, with the possibility of acquiring the remaining 20% within 2022), while additional opportunities offered by liberalised markets have been left "on top" of the objectives contained in the Plan.

Increasing value for shareholders and an improved dividend policy

The Plan confirms the Group's care towards creating value for shareholders, with profits per share increasing by an annual average of approximately 5% and an improved dividend policy with respect to both the past and the forecast of the previous Business plan. The dividend will indeed rise to 9.5 cents/share as of the payment pertaining to 2017 (to be made during the current financial year) and settle at 10.0 cents in 2018 and 2019, reaching 10.5 cents for 2020 and 2021 (+17% compared to the last dividend paid).

Networks: smart infrastructures and excellence in services at the root of the Utility 4.0 model

The majority of the growth over the duration of the Plan is expected to come from the networks area: EBITDA traceable to electricity and gas distribution, the water cycle and remote heating services will go from € 424 million in 2016 to 552 million in 2021, thus contributing to roughly half of the Group's overall EBITDA.

A strong impulse will come from the over 2 billion in investments dedicated to the evolution and modernisation of networks, by adopting innovative technologies able to guarantee an excellent customer service (efficiency, safety, information exchange) and improve management competitiveness, with the aim of reconfirming the concessions already gained in the Group's reference areas. Efficiencies remain a strategic priority, and will contribute to growth over the five-year period with 24 million overall, to which one must add 15 million coming from the innovations introduced in networks (from energy efficiency projects applied to the most energy consuming activities, to automation systems in networks).

Consolidating the Group's role as a reference point in the waste sector

The waste sector EBITDA is expected to grow from the € 231 million seen in 2016 to 282 million in 2021.

This growth will be sustained by the current positive trends in demand, and by approximately € 600 million in investments over the duration of the Plan. The latter will be dedicated to fuelling innovation in environmental services and maintaining an appropriate capacity of waste treatment in the reference area, without neglecting trustworthiness and sustainability. One concrete example of the application of the best technologies currently available is the creation in the Bologna area of the first biomethane production plant, which will become functional within 2018 and allow the circle to be "come home": from collecting the organic part of sorted waste and agricultural trimmings to introducing the methane produced into the network, achieving a particularly sustainable cycle and clear benefits for air quality. Particular attention will continue to go to developing sorted waste, expected to grow from 56% in 2016 to 70% in 2021, including improvement from a qualitative point of view as well, in order to gain the most value from the portions collected and increasingly reduce both environmental impact and tariffs for citizens. Efficiencies remain a cornerstone for the expected results, which will also be sustained by the innovations foreseen (the latter will contribute roughly 8 million to overall growth in the waste area).

Furthermore, in 2017 the entrance of Aliplast within the Group's scope of operations has allowed Hera, already a leader in the sector, to introduce a new phase and be among the nation's precursors in developing a model of a circular economy. In the future as well, attention will go to solutions able to further increase the circularity of the Group's activities. The avant-garde position it has reached in treatment, reuse, recycling and energy valorisation thus becomes a heritage made available to industrial customers. The latter already see the Hera Group as a point of reference and a trustworthy partner, able to provide them with support in the evolution of their production processes, in line with the principles of a circular economy, by offering them an all-round service in waste management.

Energy: over 3 million customers

The energy sector will increase its EBITDA from the € 241 million seen in 2016 to 259 million in 2021. The challenging objective set by the Group is to reach over 3 million energy customers by the end of the Plan, making the most of both internally developing its own customer base, in line with its track record, and the opportunities offered by the market. These involve, for example, extinguishing protected categories in electricity, or the upcoming assignment of last resort services, in which the Hera Group has accumulated a solid experience over the years.

Beginning with the over 2.3 million customers reached in 2017, the enlarged customer base will be able to rely on 30,000 new energy clients in the current year: 13,000 protected electricity customers in the municipality of Gorizia, recently acquired through the subsidiary EnergiaBaseTrieste, with 17,000 further gas and electricity customers soon added in the Marche and Abruzzo regions, thanks to a binding deal signed in the last few days. The strong point of both operations lies in integrating a local presence, in a physical sense, that is typical of smaller businesses, with the potential for innovation in services and offers, and the competitiveness that come from belonging to a Group that is among the main operators in the Italian energy market. This is the light in which Marche Multiservizi's acquisition of 29.5% of the share capital of Hera Comm Marche must also be seen, as brought to completion last December, in line with the consolidated decision to reinforce both the integration between Group companies and synergies across the areas served.

The customer base will be enlarged thanks to the introduction of new offers, increasingly innovative and personalised, that combine energy sales with the supply of services with added value that are closely tied to the commodity itself (for example, tools for increasing energy efficiency in households). Furthermore, the Group will be able to defend its own customer base with increasing attention to customer experience, turning to digitalised processes and adopting efficient data management and analysis systems to guarantee an excellent service and accelerate the "time to market".

Lastly, thanks to the knowhow gained in energy efficiency both within the company and when acting for third parties, the Group will be able to interface with public administrations, condominiums or businesses as reference partners for defining and implementing effective solutions for energy saving, an element which is increasingly crucial in local and national energy strategies.

Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Hera Chairman

The reference scenario shows deep changes occurring in all sectors in which the Group is active, and requires us to "change gears" in order to seize the opportunities that we have been preparing to handle for some time now. The challenging objectives contained in the Plan rest on the solid results achieved until present, and that we wish to turn into further growth from all points of view, both in terms of size and regarding improvements in quality, risk profile and sustainability. The targets reached, as is also demonstrated by the 2017 forecast, allow us to look towards an incremental profit projection compared to the previous Plan, and towards growing payments to shareholders, with an additional increase in dividends, following up on the one announced last year.

Stefano Venier, Hera CEO

Already today, the new frontiers of circularity and shared value are a reality for the Group, which it can use as levers for an increasingly avant-garde industrial development, with the goal of meeting our customers' evolving needs and facing the urgent drive towards sustainability set out in the agendas of all countries. Our Plan envisages an intense investment program, amounting to almost 3 billion euros, confirming the Group's financial solidity and leaving further room for additional opportunities.

Online from 10 January 2018 at 15:00:36

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2021-04-06 Kindly note that the following documents, approved by the Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors, have been made available to the public at company headquarters, on the website www.gruppohera.it and on the authorised storage platform 1INFO (www.1Info.it): <>folder containing the draft Separate and consolidated financial statements at 31/12/2020; Sustainability report – consolidated non-financial statement drafted pursuant to L. Decree 254/2016. In the same way, the Group’s Report on the remuneration policy and fees paid and the 2020 Corporate Governance Report are also available. Press release Financial Statements DNF Y20.pdf 2018-11-06 18:33:00 sede_Gruppo110.1534760363.jpg sede_Gruppo110.1534760363.jpg
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Hera Spa

Hera Group approves results at 31/12/2020

2021-03-24 Results as at 31 December 2020 The year ended positively, despite the nationwide impact coming from the Coronavirus emergency, during which Hera stood by its stakeholders and provided support. Thanks to its solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business strategy, Hera thus continued to grow and create value for shareholders and local communities. Owing to a good cash generation, the proposed dividend was revised upwards, now set at 11 cents per share Il Gruppo Hera approva i risultati al 31/12/2020 /documents/1514726/7351398/Economic+data+Y2020.xls/3a392394-7380-b819-e7cc-ca7b723ae937?t=1617192710757 /group_eng/investor-relations/results-and-presentations/interactive-data Financial data as at 31 December 2020 Interactive data Financial highlights Revenues at 7,079.0‬ million euro (+2.4%) Ebitda at 1,123.0 million euro (+3.5%) Net profits for Shareholders at 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) Net debt improves to 3,227.0 million euro, with net debt/Ebitda ratio falling to 2.87x Proposed dividend increases to 11 cents per share (+10%) Operating highlights Positive results come from both internal and external growth Good contribution towards growth from energy areas in particular, including the Ascopiave partnership Improvement in all sustainability indicators, with shared value Ebitda increasing to 420.0 million euro (+7.2%) Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated economic results at 31 December 2020 and the Report on remuneration policies and compensation paid, along with the Sustainability report. 18 years of uninterrupted growth, thanks to good operating, financial and fiscal management The Hera Group closed the 2020 financial year positively, as well as in all quarters, even during a particularly difficult year on account of the Coronavirus emergency. Thanks to its solid and efficient multi-business model, and good operating, financial and fiscal management, Hera succeeded in maintaining growth in its results while at the same time supporting its stakeholders. Even during the lockdown, indeed, Hera guaranteed continuity, safety, quality and efficiency in all services and also provided help not only for its own employees but also its customers, suppliers and local communities. This consisted first in allowing customers to pay with delays or by instalments and offering reverse factoring to small and medium businesses, and later participating in specific solidarity initiatives across the areas served. These initiatives were appreciated by customers, as appears in the recent customer satisfaction poll which, despite the difficult external context, confirmed a high customer satisfaction rate (73/100), with approval of the management and services provided during the emergency coming to 85/100. More generally speaking, the Hera Group succeeded in continuing along the path of uninterrupted growth seen since its establishment in 2002, once again leveraging its own strategy: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and higher synergies than expected. All of this while continuously striving to create value for its stakeholders, respecting the directions set out by the new Business Plan to 2024, which aims at accompanying all areas served in a recovery that respects European strategies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Revenues at over 7 billion, up 2.4% The Hera Group’s 2020 revenues rose to 7,079 million euro, up 166.2 million (+2.4% compared to the 6,912.8 million seen in 2019), thanks above all to the energy sector and in particular the change in scope of operations caused by the exceptional Ascopiave transaction which, through EstEnergy, led to the creation of the foremost energy operator in North-Eastern Italy. Growth in the heat management business also contributed to this result, with interventions linked to incentives for work on facades and energy efficiency. Ebitda increases, reaching 1,123.0 million (+3.5%) Group Ebitda rose to 1,123.0 million euro (+3.5%), up 37.9 million compared to the 1,085.1 million euro seen in 2019, with contributions mainly coming from external growth, in addition to internal growth. The businesses that played the greatest role in this increase were electricity and gas, thanks in particular to the Ascopiave transaction, but the water cycle and the other services in which Hera operates also made a positive contribution. The extraordinary efforts deployed by Hera to face the health emergency allowed the impact on Ebitda to be contained within the limits foreseen last year at the beginning of the pandemic, thanks in particular to all the support measures introduced. Operating results grow to 551.3 million (+1.6%) Net operating results also increased, coming to 551.3 million euro, up 8.8 million (+1.6% compared to the 542.5 million seen in 2019), despite the higher amortisation mainly linked to changes in the scope of operations. Pre-tax profits reflected the higher imputed costs involved in the Ascopiave put option, in addition to lower profits from joint ventures, which felt the effects of the health emergency. These factors were partially offset by efficiencies in the financial structure and other income. Net profits pertaining to Shareholders increase to 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) For reasons including clear improvement in the tax rate, which came to 25.7% as against the 28.3% seen in the previous year, owing to the Group’s commitment towards investments for technological, digital and environmental transformation in the direction of Utility 4.0, net results for the period rose to 322.8 million (+1.8%), showing a 5.7 million growth compared to the 317.1 million seen in 2019. Net profits pertaining to Shareholders were also up, settling at the end of 2020 at 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) compared to the 2019 figure of 300.8 million (excluding 2019 non recurring results from “special items”). Net investments grow to 528.5 million, net debt/Ebitda ratio further improves to 2.87x In 2020, net investments – including the 46.9 million euro involved in acquiring financial shareholdings mainly concerning Ascopiave – came to 528.5 million, up 3.8% compared to the 509.2 million seen in 2019. Operating investments totalling 506.4 million euro, including capital grants, were mainly allocated to interventions on plants, networks and infrastructures, in order to guarantee quality, efficiency, safety, resilience and innovation, in addition to regulatory upgrading that concerned gas distribution above all, with a large-scale metre substitution, and the purification and sewerage sector. These investments allowed the value of regulated infrastructures (RAB) to remain almost unchanged, despite the assets in gas networks transferred as part of the Ascopiave transaction. At the same time, investments contributed to growth and recovery in the areas served, since they were carried out by the Group’s suppliers, most of which are small-medium local businesses, which were thus able to continue working without interruption thanks to the support offered by Hera. The Group’s net debt settled at 3,227.0 million, improving compared to the 3,274.2 million seen in 2019, with a 47.2 million euro reduction of financial debt. In particular, operations generated positive and growing cash flows, which allowed investments, M&A transactions, the dividends paid and the treasury shares acquired to be entirely financed. Thanks to the double lever of an increased Ebitda and a lower net debt, the net debt/Ebitda ratio settled at 2.87x, showing clear improvement with respect to the 3.02x seen in 2019. The Group’s financial solidity is reflected by the opinions released by major rating agencies: Moody’s assigned Hera a Baa2 rating with a stable outlook, while Standard & Poor’s gave it a BBB/A-2 rating with a positive outlook. The Group’s attention towards sustainability confirmed, with shared value Ebitda rising to 420.0 million These positive operating results were matched by Hera’s increasing attention towards sustainability. The Hera Group was the first to introduce, in 2016, shared value reporting, concerning all business activities that, in addition to creating operating earnings, respond to the drivers for sustainable growth set out in the UN’s 2030 Agenda and, more generally, by various national and international policies. In 2020, shared value Ebitda rose to 420.0 million euro (+7.2% compared to 2019), coming to 37.4% of overall Ebitda. This result confirms the path set out in the Business Plan, which expects this indicator to reach 648 million by 2024, almost 50% of total Ebitda. Shared value has acted for some time as a benchmark for Hera’s progress towards sustainability and its business model over the years – all the more so in these difficult months – and has now proven to be winning and resilient, the most concrete guarantee for a future with further development, for Hera and for the areas served, with the goal of accompanying them during recovery. The Hera Group’s best practices in ESG areas, moreover, have been confirmed by its inclusion in the FTSE4Good index series and, even more so, in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe – one of the most authoritative stock market indices evaluating social responsibility – as “Industry leader” out of the roughly 3,500 companies with the highest capitalisation in the world. The Group’s attention towards sustainability and transparency has furthermore been confirmed by its decision to work towards the “Well below 2°C” goal in the “Science Based Targets initiative”. This involves pursuing carbon neutrality and applying the recommendations provided by the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures” (TCFD) in its reporting as of the 2020 financial year, to provide stakeholders with all information required to assess opportunities and risks linked to the climate. Proposed dividend up to 11 cents per share The Board of Directors, considering the positive results reached, has decided to put an 11 cents per share dividend to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April, up 10% compared to the last dividend paid and outperforming Business Plan target for the current year. This will furthermore benefit the shareholder remuneration policy described in the Business Plan, since this new starting point will be applied, thus arriving at a dividend coming to 13 cents per share by 2024, with constant increases introduced year after year. The rise in financial expenditure for the dividends foreseen over the period covered by the Plan will be fully covered by the cash already generated in 2020. The ex-dividend date has been set at 5 July 2021, with payment as of 7 July 2020. The dividend will be paid to shares recorded on 6 July 2021. Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid approved The Board of Directors furthermore approved the Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid, in line with international best practices. Gas Ebitda for the gas area – which includes services in natural gas distribution and sales, district heating and heat management – increased significantly compared to the previous year, in terms of both earnings and volumes sold, rising to 374.4 million euro (+9.6%), 32.8 million more than the 341.6 million seen in 2019. This result was reached in spite of the impact of the health emergency, the milder winter temperatures, the spin-off of part of the gas distribution network following the Ascopiave transaction and the latest revision of tariffs by the Authority, all of which decreased Ebitda by roughly 50 million. Contributions to growth in Ebitda came mainly from the Ascopiave partnership, with the acquisition of companies belonging to the EstEnergy Group and AmgasBlu, and from the 8 portions of the last resort gas service in 16 regions of Italy and 5 portions of the default gas distribution service in 12 regions awarded for the period from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021. This growth was also sustained by the heat management business, with facade incentives. The number of gas customers reached almost 2.1 million, up by roughly 27 thousand over 2019 (+1.3%). In 2020, gross investments coming to 135.3 million were made, mainly going to interventions in the large-scale meter substitution and activities linked to acquiring new customers. The gas area’s contribution to Group Ebitda rose to 33.3%. Water Ebitda for the water area – which includes services in the aqueduct, purification and sewerage – came to 265.8 million euro, with a slight increase over the 265.3 million seen one year earlier. This result is due to the efficiency enhancing initiatives introduced by the Group, which fully offset the lower new connections, customer requests and subcontracted works owing to the health emergency. A slight increase in customers was also seen, amounting to 3 thousand, which now reach almost 1.5 million overall. Including capital grants, investments amounted to 166.2 million euro, mainly involving extensions, reclamations and network and plant upgrading, as well as regulatory adjustments, especially in the area of purification and sewage. Among other projects, work continued on the Rimini seawater protection plan, one of the most important, cutting-edge works in Italy in the field of sewerage and purification, in addition to upgrading the sewerage network in other areas. Requests for new water and sewerage connections increased compared to the previous year. The water area accounted for 23.7% of Group Ebitda. Waste Ebitda for the waste area – in which Hera Group is Italy’s foremost operator, and which includes waste collection, treatment and disposal services – settled at 258.0 million euro, compared to the 264.2 million euro seen in 2019, mainly due to a reduction in the earnings for regulated activities of municipal waste collection and sweeping. This result felt the effects of the health emergency, owing to the reduction in waste production seen during the lockdown, as well as the drop in demand for recycled plastic material and in prices for recycled products, and lower revenues from electricity generation in waste-to-energy plants. Nevertheless, in this context, Hera was able to react promptly thanks to its cutting-edge set of plants, with approximately ninety plants able to treat all types of waste, from the point of view of a circular economy as well, which proved to be a fundamental strategic lever in the Italian scenario, considering the country’s structural shortage of plants. This is confirmed by the positive results achieved by the waste management sector in the last quarter of 2020, which, along with the increase seen in waste treatment prices, made it possible to offset the Covid ’19 impact on Ebitda. Total investments coming to 68.3 million euro were mainly allocated to maintenance and upgrades on plants. This set of assets was further reinforced thanks to recent acquisitions – such as the one concerning Pistoia Ambiente – and agreements with outstanding partners. The latter include an agreement between Aliplast and NextChem, a company belonging to the Maire Tecnimont Group, aimed at creating an innovative structure for producing high-quality recycled polymers, which will make it possible to recycle rigid plastics and thus introduce greater sustainability in industrial sectors, such as the IT sector, which until now have used only virgin plastics. Again, a partnership was signed between Herambiente and Eni Rewind for creating, in Ravenna, an avant-garde environmental platform to manage industrial waste, minimizing disposal in favour of material and energy recovery. In 2020 as well, protecting environmental resources was confirmed as a priority objective for Hera, along with maximising their reuse, as is demonstrated by the additional increase in sorted municipal waste collection, which went from 64.6% in 2019 to 65.3% in 2020. The waste area accounted for 23% of Group Ebitda. Electricity The electricity area – which covers electricity generation, distribution and sales services – recorded an Ebitda coming to 188.2 million, up 9.7 million (+5.5%) compared to 178.5 million seen during the previous year. This result is mainly linked to the Ascopiave partnership, thanks to the acquisition of EstEnergy and AmgasBlu, and to higher margins from electricity generation in the dispatching service market, all of which considerably contained the negative effect of the health emergency. Increases were also seen in requests for new connections and in investments, which amounted to 47.7 million euro, 4.3 million more than in the previous year, mainly involving non-recurring maintenance on plants and distribution networks in the Modena, Imola, Trieste and Gorizia areas. Electricity customers rose to 1.3 million (+3.5%), up 44.8 thousand compared to 2019, with growth mainly seen on the free market, thanks to reinforced sales initiatives; safeguarded customers, instead, remained virtually the same as in the previous year. The electricity area accounted for 16.8% of Group Ebitda. Statement by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano The Hera Group’s 2020 financial statements prove, once again, our solidity and the effectiveness of our strategies, but also our close relations with local areas and stakeholders. These results indeed reflect our uninterrupted activities, in spite of the pandemic, supporting the economic fabric in which we operate. Quarter after quarter, we succeeded in meeting the challenges posed by the emergency, reacting quickly to reorganise our work and find solutions to protect our assets on the one hand, and customers on the other. In a complex context, we defined new projects and signed agreements with outstanding partners, and in the second half of 2020, gaining speed in particular towards the end of the year, we benefitted from the overall recovery seen in economic activities in the areas we serve. These positive results were reflected in all main indicators and are all the more significant in light of the difficulties caused by the health emergency: we thus confirmed our track record of 18 years of growth and further improved our financial solidity, with positive consequences for our public and private shareholders, to whom we have decided to pay, already this year, an increased dividend coming to 11 cents per share. The good cash generation seen in 2020, furthermore, will allow us to fully cover our policy of increased dividends through to 2024. Statement by CEO Stefano Venier The growth achieved by the Hera Group was strongly supported by its partnership with Ascopiave, which enabled the Group to expand further in the Triveneto region. Despite the complex context, we were able to immediately extract a significant part of the expected synergies, thus giving a crucial contribution to the increase in our cash flows in 2020. The year was also dedicated to further progress in fully integrating sustainability into our business strategies: we are committed to promoting further development in this direction, with projects for circularity, carbon neutrality and technological innovation, respecting European policies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. This also includes a few collaborations recently launched, such as the one with Snam for developing hydrogen. Green gases, in fact, are a particularly interesting frontier for us precisely because we operate in more than one business: by providing our wide range of expertise and our broad infrastructures, we can create innovative examples of carbon neutral circularity between supply chains. 28 April 2021 Shareholders Meeting In light of the ongoing need for prudence in avoiding situations of risk caused by the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, and therefore respecting fundamental principles of health protection, those entitled to take part in the Shareholders Meeting will be able to intervene without access to the physical premises and only through the Designated Representative. The notice calling the meeting and the documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April will be communicated to Shareholders and made available to the public in the regular forms provided for by law and the Articles of Association. The manager responsible for drafting the company’s accounting statements, Luca Moroni, declares, pursuant to article 154-bis paragraph 2 of the TUF, that the information contained in the present press release corresponds to the documentation available and to the account books and entries. The financial statement and related materials will be available to the public pursuant to the terms established by law at the Company Headquarters, on the website www.gruppohera.it and on the authorised storage platform 1Info (www.1info.it ), within 6 April 2021. Unaudited extracts from the Financial Statements at 31 December 2020 are attached. Profit & Loss (m€) 31/12/20 Inc.% 31/12/19 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Sales 7,079.0 6,912.8 +166.2 +2.4% Other operating revenues 467.8 6.6% 530.8 7.7% (63.0) (11.9%) Raw material (3,410.6) (48.2%) (3,458.2) (50.0%) (47.6) (1.4%) Services costs (2,424.9) (34.3%) (2,318.2) (33.5%) +106.7 +4.6% Other operating expenses (58.9) (0.8%) (59.3) (0.9%) (0.4) (0.7%) Personnel costs (572.7) (8.1%) (560.4) (8.1%) +12.3 +2.2% Capitalisations 43.3 0.6% 37.6 0.5% +5.7 +15.1% Ebitda 1,123.0 15.9% 1,085.1 15.7% +37.9 +3.5% Depreciation and provisions (571.7) (8.1%) (542.6) (7.8%) +29.1 +5.4% Ebit 551.3 7.8% 542.5 7.8% +8.8 +1.6% Financial inc./(exp.) (116.7) (1.6%) (100.0) (1.4%) +16.7 +16.7% Pre tax profit 434.6 6.1% 442.5 6.4% (7.9) (1.8%) Taxes (111.8) (1.6%) (125.4) (1.8%) (13.6) (10.8%) Net profit 322.8 4.6% 317.1 4.6% +5.7 +1.8% Results from special items - 0.0% 84.9 1.2% (84.9) +100.0% Net profit for the period 322.8 4.6% 402.0 5.8% (79.2) (19.7%) Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 302.7 4.3% 385.7* 5.6% (83.0) (21.5%) Minority shareholders 20.1 0.3% 16.3 0.2% +3.8 +23.3% Balance Sheet (m€) 31/12/20 Inc.% 31/12/19 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 6,983.6 109.4% 6,846.3 108.9% +137.3 +2.0% Working capital 53.6 0.8% 87.0 1.4% (33.4) (38.4%) (Provisions) (654.9) (10.2%) (649.1) (10.3%) (5.8) +0.9% Net invested capital 6,382.3 100.0% 6,284.2 100.0% +98.1 +1.6% Net equity 3,155.3 49.4% 3,010.0 47.9% +145.3 +4.8% Long term net financial debt 3,617.1 56.7% 3,383.4 53.8% +233.7 +6.9% Short term net financial debt (390.1) (6.1%) (109.2) (1.7%) (280.9) +257.2% Net financial debts 3,227.0 50.6% 3,274.2 52.1% (47.2) (1.4%) Net invested capital 6,382.3 100.0% 6,284.2 100.0% +98.1 +1.6% Results as at 31 December 2020 Press release Y2020.pdf 2019-11-11 13:14:00 110x150.be-bs.jpg Il Gruppo Hera approva i risultati al 31/12/2020
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Potentialpark 2021: Hera awarded for its ability to attract talent

2021-02-26 The Hera Group ranks among the most “talent-friendly” companies, for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Swedish research firm Potentialpark. Recognition comes once again for Hera’s efforts in online and social communication, aimed at young graduates in search of employment: second place overall in Italy and first for the career page on its site Sede Hera Only a few weeks after obtaining Top Employer certification, for the 12th consecutive year and ranking first overall in Italy for the second year in a row, the Hera Group has also been included once again among the companies with the best ability to attract talent. This has been established by the 2021 Italian edition of the Online Talent Communication study, carried out by the Swedish research firm Potentialpark, that each year drafts a ranking of companies who, through their online communication, are the most attractive for candidates in search of employment. In Potentialpark’s 2021 edition, Hera came in second in Italy, further improving its position in the overall ranking. Excellent results were also obtained by the Group in specific categories: first in the “Career Website” category, thanks to continuous improvements in the “Work with us” section of the company’s site (https://www.gruppohera.it/gruppo/lavora-con-noi). The Group furthermore maintained second place in the Mobile category, for the ease with which candidates may apply using a cell phone/smartphone. The Hera Group, moreover, has been focusing on innovation for some time now, offering candidates the best available technology. Social recruiting activities, i.e. interaction with candidates on the main social networks, are increasing: this effort was also recognised by Potentialpark, which included the Group in this category’s Top 10, with a significant improvement over previous years. The Group’s profile on LinkedIn, the main social network for professional relations, continues to grow and has now reached over 80,300 followers. These are significant results, that highlight the constant and growing commitment shown by the Hera Group towards communication and involving talented people, using all portals and digital tools. In addition to creating and spreading information, in fact, Hera makes efforts to customise its content, to meet the needs of the job market and rank among the best companies to which young people can look with interest. In fact, numerous activities have been designed to facilitate the application process and provide all information required to understand “life” at Hera. By visiting the Group’s website, young people looking for opportunities can indeed become familiar with the company, obtain information on salary policies, contracts, methods used to improve the balance between private life and professional careers, and learn about the company’s welfare plan and the HerAcademy corporate university, the first in Italy to be created by a multi-utility. Sede Gruppo Hera Press release Potentialpark 2021.pdf 2020-04-29 10:00:25 Sede Gruppo Hera Sede Hera
Online dal 26/02/2021 alle ore 10:00

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HERA SPA

Viale Carlo Berti Pichat nr. 2/4 - 40127

 

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Telephone: +39 051 287111

HERA SPA

Viale Carlo Berti Pichat nr. 2/4 - 40127

 

Bologna

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Interactive financial statements and sustainability reports
The consolidated economic results at 31 December 2023 and the 2023 sustainability report were approved by the Board of Directors of the Hera Group on 26 March 2024

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Hera SpA, Viale Carlo Berti Pichat 2/4, 40127 Bologna, Tel.051287111 www.gruppohera.it