Italy's Snam reports 16% rise in H1 core profit, eyes hybrid bond
Adds context in paragraphs 2-5, CEO comment in paragraph 6, details
By Francesca Landini
MILAN, July 31 (Reuters) -Italy's state-controlled gas grid company Snam SRG.MI reported a 16% rise in first-half adjusted core earnings on Wednesday and said it could issue hybrid bonds worth up to 1.25 billion euros ($1.4 billion) to fund recent acquisitions.
The group last week announced a long-awaited deal to buy three gas storage sites from Edison EDNn.MI in a transaction that could be worth up to 630 million euros.
By the end of this year Snam will also have to fund the increase of its stake in Italy's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, acquired for an undisclosed amount.
Snam's shares reduced early gains after results and were up 0.3% at 1330 GMT while Milan blue-chip index .FTMIB was down 0.6%.
Snam said its board approved on Wednesday a potential issuance of hybrid bonds by the end of 2025 to finance recent strategic initiatives, including the acquisition of the storage assets and also relevant investments.
In the first half of the year, the group increased investments by nearly 60% year-on-year to 1.16 billion euros to press ahead with works to strengthen its gas transportation capacity and set up a new LNG terminal in the Adriatic Sea.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) excluding special items such as write offs booked in the same period last year came in at 1.42 billion euros between January and June, underpinned by the group's regulated activities including gas transportation.
"Despite a global volatile context, the first half results are solid and beyond expectations, with investments up by almost 60% and the main financial indicators up double-digit, allowing us to confirm the guidance, already revised upwards, for the end of 2024", Chief Executive Stefano Venier said.
The group has forecast adjusted EBITDA to rise above 2.75 billion euros in the whole 2024.
Net debt was up 1.08 billion euros to 16.4 billion euros mainly due to higher investments and 2023 dividend payment.
($1 = 0.9223 euros)
Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Tomasz Janowski
免责声明: XM Group仅提供在线交易平台的执行服务和访问权限，并允许个人查看和/或使用网站或网站所提供的内容，但无意进行任何更改或扩展，也不会更改或扩展其服务和访问权限。所有访问和使用权限，将受下列条款与条例约束：(i) 条款与条例；(ii) 风险提示；以及(iii) 完整免责声明。请注意，网站所提供的所有讯息，仅限一般资讯用途。此外，XM所有在线交易平台的内容并不构成，也不能被用于任何未经授权的金融市场交易邀约和/或邀请。金融市场交易对于您的投资资本含有重大风险。
所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。
本网站上由XM和第三方供应商所提供的所有内容，包括意见、新闻、研究、分析、价格、其他资讯和第三方网站链接，皆保持不变，并作为一般市场评论所提供，而非投资性建议。所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为适用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。请确保您已阅读并完全理解，XM非独立投资研究提示和风险提示相关资讯，更多详情请点击 这里。
