News

Financial highlights

• Revenues at 3,285.8 million euro
• Ebitda* at 417.1 million euro (+1.7%)
• Net profit for shareholders* at 143.1 million euro (+11.6%)
• Gross operating investments at 156.8 million euro
• Net financial debt at 3,986.6 million euro, with Net debt / Ebitda* at 2.66x

Business highlights

• Significant contribution to growth from the water, electricity and waste management sectors
• Growth of energy customer base continues, now at 3.9 million
• New avant-garde projects for the ecological transition and investments to optimise the assets managed

The Board of Directors of the Hera Group, chaired by Executive Chairman Cristian Fabbri, unanimously approved the consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and appointed the Group’s new Vice Chairman.
The first quarter of 2024 ended with increased operating results and investments compared to the same period in 2023 (year in which Hera recorded the highest growth in its history), in a market environment that was more stable than the previous year due to lower volatility in commodity prices, while still not returning to the levels seen prior to the crisis. This good performance is the result of the Group’s consolidated multi-business strategy, balanced between regulated and free-market activities.

Cristian Fabbri, Executive Chairman of Hera Group:

“The first quarter of 2024 closed with the main operating and financial indicators showing growth, thanks to our consolidated multi-business strategy, balanced between regulated and liberalised activities: these results confirm the targets for creating value included in our Business Plan. In fact, the good operating performance led Ebitda to reach 417.1 million euro, up from last year’s exceptional results. The gradual normalisation of the energy scenario also allowed us to achieve a double-digit growth in net profit and return on our invested capital, which stands at 9.5%. In the electricity sector, the 19% increase in the customer base confirms our Group’s commercial strength and expertise, capable as we are of growing and boosting customer loyalty with value-added services for decarbonisation and energy efficiency, and conquering new market shares, reaching a total of 3.9 million energy customers.”

Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group:

“The 1Q 2024 solid results highlight further growth along with the Hera Group’s confirmed focus on resilience, sustainability and innovation. Operating investments, amounting to around 160 million euro, went to upgrading and making the managed infrastructures even more efficient, to ensure service quality and continuity and improve the resilience of our assets. The activities carried out in 2023 to optimise the financial structure led to a decrease in the cost of medium- and long-term debt, generating a significant saving in financial expenses compared to the same period one year earlier. This results in an increase of about 12% in net profit attributable to shareholders, which rose to over 143 million euro. The Group’s financial solidity was also fully confirmed, with the Net debt / Ebitda* ratio standing at 2.66x, improving from previous year and essentially aligned with the figure recorded on 31 December 2023.”

Revenues at approximately 3.3 billion
In the first quarter of 2024, revenues amounted to 3,285.8 million euro, down significantly from 5,628.9 million euro in the same period of 2023, mainly due to lower energy commodity prices and lesser trading activities, as well as reduced opportunities related to energy efficiency incentives in residential buildings. This drop was partially offset by the higher volumes of electricity sold, as a result of significant commercial development. 

Ebitda* rises to 417.1 million euro
At 31 March 2024, Ebitda* rose to 417.1 million euro (+1.7%), as against 410.2 million euro for the first three months of 2023, demonstrating the resilience of the Group’s results within the normalisation of commodity prices. This growth is mainly due to the contribution coming from the water area, amounting to 9.8 million euro, the good performance of the electricity and waste areas, up 3.5 million euro and 2 million euro respectively, as well as the other services area, up 1.4 million euro, all of which offset the 9.8 million euro drop in the gas area due to the loss of the contribution coming from the super-ecobonus.

Ebit* and pre-tax result* increase
Ebit* at 31 March 2024 increased to 245.9 million euro, up 4.2% from 236.1 million euro in the first quarter of 2023. This performance was also supported by lower provisions for bad debts, due to the normalisation of commodity prices and lower gas volumes.

Net profit attributable to shareholders* up to 143.1 million euro
After taxes, which came to 28%, mainly due to lower tax benefits in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, net profit* rose to 153.3 million euro (+9.3%), compared to 140.3 million euro at 31 March 2023. Net profit attributable to Group Shareholders* also rose, coming to 143.1 million euro, up (+11.6%) from the 128.2 million euro seen at 31 March 2023. These results supported the creation of value for all stakeholders, in line with the content of the Business Plan.

Gross operating investments rise, maintaining the Group’s solidity 
The Group’s operating investments, including capital grants, confirmed its strategic plans and were in line with the previous year, amounting to 156.8 million euro, as against 155.7 million euro at 31 March 2023, and mainly went to works on plants, networks and infrastructures. Regulatory upgrading was also carried out, mainly concerning gas distribution, with a large-scale meter replacement, and the purification and sewerage area.

Tommaso Rotella becomes Vice Chairman of Hera
The Board of Directors assigned the position of (non-executive) Vice Chairman to Mr. Tommaso Rotella, who was appointed as a board director during the Shareholders Meeting held on April 30. 
Mr Rotella was also appointed Vice Chairman of Hera S.p.A.’s Executive Committee and Chairman of both the Remuneration Committee and the Risk and Control Committee (also acting as the Committee for Transactions with Related Parties).
Rotella will remain in office as Vice President until the Shareholders’ Meeting held to approve the 2025 financial statements.

* In order to ensure that the results presented reflect the actual performance of the gas business more closely, and are thus more easily comparable, the figures with an asterisk include a managerial adjustment for 2023 based on a valuation of stocked gas at prices pertaining to the period of injection. See the paragraph entitled “Special items and managerial adjustments / IFRS balance sheet reconciliation”, which contains a comparison between the managerial statement and the IFRS balance sheets.
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