Hera: new 500 million euro bond
Search Bar
Asset Publisher
Hera: new 500 million euro bond
Strong interest shown by investors towards a bond financing the Group’s projects, with orders amounting to over 2 billion. This positive reaction was fuelled by the Group’s solidity and its high sustainability profile, as recognised by its recent inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
The Hera Group has successfully placed a bond for qualified investors on the Eurobond market, with a nominal amount coming to 500 million euro and a 10-year maturity.
This new issue immediately met with strong interest from investors in all main European countries. In a single day, orders were indeed received for 4 times the offer. Due to the quantity and quality of the orders received, the price was set at an excellent rate, equal to the Mid Swap Rate +60 basis points, and a coupon coming to 0.25%, the lowest amount for an Italian corporate bond with an equal length to maturity.
The notes will be issued as part of the Euro Medium Term Notes Programme (updated on 24 November 2020 increasing to 3.5 billion euro the maximum principal amount of notes that may be simultaneously outstanding) and will be listed on the regulated market of the Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin) with a return set at 0.348%. The settlement is scheduled for 3 December 2020.
The notes are expected to have the same rating as the Hera Group: Moody’s rating Baa2 with a stable outlook and Standard & Poor’s rating BBB with a positive outlook.
The proceeds of the bond will be used to finance the Group’s investments in the waste management, water and energy sectors, which will introduce innovative interventions that follow up on the attention towards sustainability that has always characterized the Group’s activities.
Sustainability and the Hera Group
Since its establishment, 18 years ago, Hera has always integrated sustainability objectives into its strategies in all business areas, combining continuously growing economic results with the creation of shared value for all stakeholders and local areas served, guaranteeing efficiency and resilience, safeguarding the environment and protecting natural resources. This model has continued to guide the Group’s activities, all the more so during the current year, with the difficulties created by the ongoing health emergency.
The Hera Group’s sustainability has received further confirmation by its recent inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), one of the world’s most authoritative stock market indices for assessing social responsibility, which selects the leading companies internationally based on the best ESG performances. In addition to becoming part of the world and European indices at the same time, Hera ranked as “Industry leader” among the approximately 3,500 companies with the highest capitalization globally examined by the DJSI.
The partners in the operation
The issuance of the bond was coordinated by a pool of banks acting as joint bookrunners: BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank, IMI - Intesa Sanpaolo, Mediobanca and UniCredit Bank.
Legance - Avvocati Associati assisted Hera, while and the firm Linklaters advised the joint bookrunners.
Documents pertaining to this bond will be available on the website www.gruppohera.it in the Investor Relations section, as well as on the 1INFO authorized storage mechanism at www.1info.it.
Hera Custom Facet Publish Date
Custom Facet
Category Facet
Asset Publisher
The multi-utility tops the ranking, marking its sixth consecutive year on the podium, the only Italian company to achieve this result. The recognition rewards the credibility and consistency with which the Group integrates ESG factors into its strategy, governance and corporate culture.
Hera Group ranked first in the 2026 ESG Identity Corporate Index, developed by ET.Group to measure the extent to which ESG factors are integrated into companies’ strategies and decision-making processes. The results of the eleventh edition were presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference.
The Group’s growth, together with the progressive evolution and increasing maturity of its ESG model, has gone hand in hand with continuous advances in governance, enabling the multi-utility to rank among the Top 10 for 9 consecutive years and on the podium for six years in a row.
A more selective assessment focused on ESG credibilityThe recognition is even more significant as it is the outcome of a rigorous assessment process carried out against a benchmark that continues to rise. The 2026 edition included a record 109 companies, all demonstrating increasingly advanced levels of ESG maturity.
The assessment itself has also become more demanding, shifting the focus from disclosure alone to companies’ ability to demonstrate the effective integration of ESG factors into strategy, decision-making processes and corporate culture. The analysis centres on the development of a robust and coherent ESG strategy geared towards value creation, transparent reporting of results, and the ability to anticipate and manage risks.
For Hera Group, particular emphasis was placed on:
- governance as an enabler, supported by the active involvement of dedicated governance bodies;
- the integration of ESG targets into remuneration policies and long-term strategies;
- the ability to foster a cross-functional ESG culture involving all business functions and the entire value chain.
Hera Group builds its ESG narrative on its strategy, its commitments and its ability to translate them into tangible results. Over more than twenty years, the multi-utility has combined sustained economic growth with the evolution of its governance towards increasingly demanding targets, clear accountability and measurable performance. The credibility of the Group’s commitments rests on a consistent track record of delivery, as demonstrated by significant investments, completed projects and reported impacts. The same rigour underpins investment in people development through skills, inclusion and professional growth, as well as incentive systems that embed sustainability targets.
For Hera Group, ESG is therefore the practical framework through which the company governs, grows and creates value over time.