Milan, 31 July 2018 - Italgas's Board of Directors met yesterday under the chairmanship of Lorenzo Bini Smaghi and approved the Consolidated Half-Year Report as at 30 June 2018
[1].
Key figures
Consolidated economic and financial highlights:
- Total revenue: €591.3 million (+4.7%)
- EBITDA: €424.2 million (+8.7%)
- EBIT: €223 million (+9.3%)
- Net profit: €150.7 million (+8%)
- Technical investments: €227.9 million
- Net cash flow from operating activities before M&A transactions: €393.4 million
- Net financial debt[2]: €3,591.3 million
Operating highlights including unconsolidated investee companies:
- Gas concessions: no. 1,709
- Number of active meters: 7.5 million
- Gas distribution network: 67.7 thousand Km
Italgas’s economic and financial results for the first half-year of 2018 confirm the positive performance achieved in 2017, with further improvement in terms of margins; investment programs and the closing of further acquisitions are in line with the target set in the 2018-2024 Business Plan.
A significant portion of investments concerned the plan to installation of smart meters replacing the traditional ones. In the first half of 2018, also considering the non-consolidated affiliates, just under 1 million were installed, 915 thousand of which replaced traditional meters, bringing the total to approximately 3.98 million, equal to 49.1% of the entire meter fleet
[3]. The target is to complete the substitution plan by early 2020. The installation of smart meters is part of the overall project to digitize the network, for which more than 40 pilot projects have been launched throughout the country.
In the first six months of the year the objective of the consolidation of Italgas in gas distribution was pursued by completing several corporate transactions, some of which had already been announced during 2017. In particular, the following acquisitions were finalised:
i) the entire social capital of the Ichnusa Gas S.p.A.,
ii) the entire social capital of the company Medea S.r.l.,
iii) a company branch of Amalfitana Gas,
iv) 98% of the share capital of a series of companies holding 16 natural gas distribution concessions in Campania, Calabria and Siciliy
[4],
v) the distribution network of the Municipality of Portopalo di Capopassero from AEnergia Reti S.r.l.
Furthermore, during the first half of the year has been completed the acquisition of Seaside, one of Italy's leading Energy Service Companies, at the forefront of energy efficiency services and enables the Group to be present in a sector that offers multiple synergies with the activities of gas distribution.
With over 67 thousand kilometres of managed network and 7.5 million redelivery points served in 1,709 concessions, Italgas confirms its position as leader in the sector in Italy, with a market share of over 34%
[5], and third largest operator in Europe in terms of number of managed RDPs.
The requirements related to the net investments of the first half of 2018 were fully covered by the positive net cash flow from operating activities, equal to €632.3 million, with a Free Cash Flow - before M&A activities - equal to €393.4 million.
The net financial position as at 30 June 2018 was 3,591.3 million euro, an improvement compared to 31 December 2017 (€ 3,720.3 million).
As regards to the economic results, operating profit for the first half of 2018 amounted to 223 million euro (+9.3% compared to 30 June 2017) and net profit was 150.7 million euro (+8% compared to the same period of the previous year).
Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, commented:
"The performance for the first six months of the year confirms Italgas' strong commitment to investments in the network, digitization processes and acquisitions, in line with the targets set in the 2018-2024 Strategic Plan.
At June 30, we reached six months in advance the target set by the Authority for the replacement of traditional meters with the latest generation ones: 50% of the meters managed by Italgas and its subsidiaries are intelligent meters. This represents the enabling factor for the wider project of digitizing the network.
The economic and financial results achieved in the first half of 2018 show a significant improvement compared to the already robust 2017 results; among others an 8% increase in net profit, thanks also to the efficiency measures and the improvement in service quality that are still in progress".
[1] Subject to a limited audit.
[2]Excluding the debts for operating leases in accordance with IFRS 16. In fact, on 13 January 2016 IASB issued IFRS 16 - Leases accounting standard, already adopted by Italgas Group on 1 January 2018. The adoption of the principle determined the writing into financial liabilities of Debts for leases of €37.2 million.
[3]Excluding non-consolidated investee companies, in the first half of 2018 Italgas installed approximately 850 thousand new meters, 770 thousand of which replaced traditional meters, bringing the current total of meters installed to approximately 3.55 million, equal to approximately 48.9% of all meters.
[4] Baranogas Reti S.r.l., Ischia Reti Gas S.r.l., Progas Metano S.r.l., Grecanica Gas S.r.l., Favaragas Reti S.r.l. e Siculianagas Reti S.r.l.
[5] Operating data also including non-consolidated subsidiaries.
