Hera Group presents Business Plan to 2027
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The first nine months of the year closed with strong growth in revenue and investments, and with all key operating and financial indicators positive, in line with the first two quarters and the targets set out in the Business Plan

Operating and financial highlights
- Revenue rises to 9,365.6 million euro (+10.6%)
- EBITDA stable at 1,037.2 million euro
- Net profit for the period up to 324.6 million euro (+4%)
- Gross operating investments at 666.8 million euro (+18.8%)
- Net financial position at 4,147.2 million euro and net financial position/EBITDA ratio at 2.6x, an improvement compared to September 2024
- Return on invested capital increases, with ROI at 9.9%
Key industrial guidelines
- Organic growth of the multi-business portfolio. The strong performance of the water and waste sectors offsets the absence of the temporary opportunities seized in 2024 within the energy segment.
- Expansion of the operational scope. Strengthening continues through M&A and joint venture initiatives (Ambiente Energia, CircularYard) and through the full consolidation of subsidiaries EstEnergy, Hera Comm, and Aliplast via the acquisition of minority interests.
- Value creation capacity. Solid operating performance and efficient financial management support earnings growth and the profitability of invested capital.
- Ample room for development. Cash generation and financial flexibility provide the basis for new organic and external growth initiatives, consistent with the objectives of the Business Plan.
Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Executive Chairman Cristian Fabbri, unanimously approved the consolidated quarterly report at 30 September 2025, which confirms a positive structural performance and strong growth in revenues and investments compared to the same period of the previous year.
Cristian Fabbri, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group:

“Over the past nine months, leveraging cash generation and our strong financial flexibility, we have focused on the Group’s structural growth: we have doubled our operating investments aimed at development, increasing investments by almost 20% in both regulated sectors and free-market businesses. We furthermore completed a number of M&A transactions and repurchased the minority stakes in EstEnergy, Aliplast and, at the beginning of October, Hera Comm, all of which are now 100% owned. These persistent growth drivers, combined with the strength of our multi-business portfolio, enabled us to offset the loss of certain temporary opportunities and resulted in an increase in return on equity, now close to 10%. These results demonstrate that we are fully on track to achieve the objectives set out in our Business Plan.”
Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group:
“Strong operating performance and steps towards financial optimisation supported growth in net profit attributable to Shareholders, which rose by 4.2%. The macroeconomic scenario remains complex, but signs of stabilisation in the energy market, combined with our ability to generate cash flow and margins – with the net debt/EBITDA ratio at 2.6x – now allow us to pursue development opportunities with even greater momentum. One non-negotiable principle remains at the heart of our industrial strategy: sustainability must go hand in hand with competitiveness. All our investments in technologies and services aim to strengthen this connection, improving resilience, innovation and the quality of our offer. Only in this way can we reconcile the Net Zero 2050 target with the growth of local areas and the well-being of communities.”
Double-digit growth in revenue, at 9.4 billion euro
At 30 September 2025, the Hera Group’s revenue amounted to nearly 9.4 billion euro (9,365.6 million euro), increasing by more than 894 million euro compared to the same period in 2024, up +10.6%, mainly linked to the increase in energy commodity prices and the higher value of gas and electricity volumes traded.
EBITDA stable at 1,037 million euro
EBITDA for the first nine months of 2025 remained substantially stable with respect to the previous year, amounting to 1,037.2 million euro. Lower margins in the energy areas (–23.3 million euro) were offset by positive results in the water cycle and waste management services. The comparison with 2024 should however take into account the 85 million euro in extraordinary margins recorded that year, linked to temporary non-recurring opportunities (mainly last resort markets and eco-bonuses). Adjusted for these effects, EBITDA at 30 September 2025 shows structural growth coming to 9%, supported by contributions from all the Group’s core businesses, exceeding the 7% average annual growth rate forecast in the Business Plan for the period to 2028.
Profit before income tax above 457 million euro
Ebit for the first nine months stood at 519.9 million euro, down slightly (-0.5%) compared to the same period in 2024, mainly due to the increase in depreciation and amortisation linked to new investments in regulated sectors and waste treatment, while provisions decreased thanks to the normalisation of the energy market. Effective operational and financial management, which saw a 27.5 million euro reduction in expenses thanks to a rationalisation of the debt structure and a reduction in IAS expenses, led to a profit before income tax of 457.2 million euro, up 5.5% compared to the 433.5 million euro seen at 30 September 2024.
Net Profit up 4%
Despite the increased tax rate, at 29% (vs 28% the previous year), net profit at 30 September 2025 reached 324.6 million euro, up 4% compared to 312.1 million euro in the same period of 2024. At the same time, net profit attributable to Group Shareholders also grew, reaching 294.7 million euro (+4.2% compared to 282.9 million euro at 30 September 2024).
Strong growth in operating investments and confirmation of the Group’s financial solidity
At 30 September 2025, operating investments, including capital grants (34.2 million), amounted to 666.8 million euro, up by almost 106 million compared with the same period in 2024 (+18.8%). The areas that benefited most from development and regulatory compliance measures were the integrated water cycle (over 243 million euro in investments, 68 million euro more than the figure seen at 30 September 2024), the waste management area (almost 30 million euro more over one year) and the gas area (+11 million).
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Hera Group presents Business Plan to 2027
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

Business Plan to 2027, operating and financial highlights
- 2027 Ebitda: 1.650 billion euro (+27% compared to 2022)
- Five-year investments at 4.4 billion euro
- Increased return on net invested capital, from 7.9% to 9.5% in 2027
- Net debt/Ebitda below 3x over the period covered by the Plan: 2.7x in 2027
- 7% average annual increase in Earnings per Share
- Dividends to rise by 28% (up to 16 €cents per share in 2027)
- Average annual Total Shareholder Return (TSR) at 12%.
Business highlights: sustainable growth
- 2.5 billion euro in investments aligned with the European Taxonomy for Sustainable Investments (98% of eligible investments)
- Shared-value investments coming to over 70% during the entire five-year plan
- Increase in shared-value Ebitda, up to over 55% in 2027, reaching 64% of total Ebitda
- Commitment to reduce total CO2 emissions by 29% within 2027 and by 37% within 2030 confirmed
- 30% of the investment plan goes towards digitisation and infrastructure innovation
- 40% of the investment plan contributes to increasing the climate-change resilience of the Group’s infrastructures
- 10 billion euro distributed over the five-year period 2023-2027 to stakeholders in the areas served by the Group
Highlights from 2023 preliminary results
- Ebitda expected to rise over 1,480 million euro (+14%)
- Net debt/Ebitda ratio expected to settle below 2.6x (from 3.3x in 2022)
- Dividend expected at 14 euro cents (+12% over 2022), higher than forecast by the Plan
The Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Cristian Fabbri, reviewed the preliminary results for 2023 and approved the Business Plan to 2027.
Growth in all main key operating and financial indicators, from Ebitda to ROI, earnings per share and dividends, accompanies a focus on financial balance, with net debt/Ebitda ratio stably below 3x.
The significant investment plan allocated for the 2023-2027 five-year period will support numerous projects and accelerate activities geared towards strengthening resilience and generating shared value and sustainable development. Hera thus confirms itself as a solid point of reference in its reference markets responding to the challenges of the external context and enabling the ecological, energy and digital transition, the circular economy and resource protection.
Cristian Fabbri, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group:

“4.4 billion in investments aimed at industrial development, sustainable growth and resilience underpin our projections of the Ebitda coming to 1.65 billion euro in 2027, up 28% compared to 2022, along with a dividend increase of 5% CAGR. 40% of capex plan will contribute to making our infrastructures even more resilient. A 29% reduction in carbon emissions and our commitment to resource regeneration are concrete examples of our contribution to the ecological transition, and the Ebitda generated by activities that also meet the targets set out in the UN Agenda will rise to 64%. Furthermore, over the five years covered by the Plan we will distribute 10 billion euro to the stakeholders. This Plan fully responds to our Group’s purpose: to generate sustainable value by promoting a ‘just’ transition. The record growth in Ebitda seen in 2023, which we expect to come to over 1.48 billion euro, and the considerable decrease in debt, with the net debt/Ebitda ratio expected below 2.6x, are promising indications and fundamental building blocks of this Business Plan. They are matched by the provisional awarding of more than one million customers in the Italian electricity market liberalization process, allowing us to more rapidly reach 4.3 million energy customers and to consolidate our position as Italy’s third largest operator in this sector.”
Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group:

“With Ebitda expected to reach almost 1.5 billion euro in 2023, and financial leverage strongly improving to less than 2.6x, we will meet and exceed the targets set out in the previous Business Plan to 2026 three years ahead of schedule. These results prove the validity of our Group’s strategic vision in seizing market opportunities and our commitment towards sustainable growth in the areas served. This commitment has been confirmed once again by our new Business Plan, with shared-value Ebitda expected to exceed 1 billion euro in 2027, showing a 55% increase in absolute terms over 2022-2027, higher than the growth rate of overall Ebitda, testifying to the growing importance of initiatives that not only generate margins for our company, but are also in line with the objectives found in the UN Agenda. More than 70% of the investments made over the time covered by the Plan will indeed be allocated to sustainability projects that benefit all our stakeholders. Regarding our various businesses, the next five years will see an important contribution to growth in the Group’s results coming from all activities, in particular the waste management sector, thanks to our strategy that leverages a portfolio of global waste services that will further strengthen our leadership in this market, and the networks sector, which will see a significant investment plan, accompanying the areas served towards the green transition.”
Business Plan to 2027
The strategic objective underlying the Hera Group’s new Business Plan is to create value benefitting all stakeholders, thanks to financial, environmental and social sustainability objectives, along with a business model and an industrial structure that are resilient to the negative effects of climate change and external market crises.
Creating value: 2027 Ebitda up to 1.650 billion and dividend up to 16 €cents (+28%)
The projects planned will bring overall Ebitda to more than 1,650 million euro in 2027, with a 355 million euro improvement compared to the 2022 result. Taking into account a number of business opportunities that will no longer be present during the time covered by the Plan and that contributed with roughly 120 million euro to the 2022 result, the growth will reach 475 million euro with an average annual rate coming to 7%.
Sustainable growth to support the ecological transition: shared-value Ebitda at 64% in 2027 and economic contribution to local areas at 10 billion euro
The Hera Group has confirmed its focus on the circular economy and decarbonisation, in order to encourage and support the ecological transition of the areas served with initiatives aimed at citizens, public administrations and industrial customers, offering its extensive set of plants and the know-how it has accumulated in various business sectors.
The initiatives set out in the Business Plan to 2027 make it possible to project a path that is perfectly consistent with achieving the industrial objectives to 2030 in terms of circular economy and decarbonisation.
As regards the circular economy, for example, the route to be followed confirms 2030 targets such as an increase in recycled plastics (+150% compared to 2017) and the reuse of wastewater (reaching 18% of total wastewater by 2030).
Balanced growth in the multi-business portfolio and increased resilience
The Business Plan expects growth to be equally distributed among the three main lines of business (networks, energy and waste management), maintaining their current balance. Continuity is also expected in the Group’s development model, which has ensured a high degree of resilience in results within all scenarios witnessed over the last twenty years, allowing for uninterrupted growth in both sustainability targets and operating-financial and service performances.
Total investments at 4.4 billion euro, with additional projects funded by 400 million in grants coming from the NRRP and other institutions
The investment plan amounts to 4.4 billion euro, 48% of which will go to development initiatives and M&As. 55% of investments will be earmarked for regulated businesses, while the remaining 45% will support growth in free-market businesses.
The over 870 million euro invested each year on average will accelerate the Group’s commitment to the ecological transition (with roughly 60% of the entire investment plan going to decarbonisation and the circular economy) and to generate sustainable development in the areas served. In this sense, more than 70% of the investment plan will be allocated to initiatives capable of creating shared-value Ebitda.
In light of the introduction of the new aspects related to the European Taxonomy, the Group estimates that operational investments coming to 2.5 billion euro (or 98% of eligible investments) will be aligned with the requirements of the European framework, and will therefore be able to gain full access to subsidised sustainable finance instruments, with benefits in terms of financial costs as well.
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