German utility EnBW joins peers in predicting falling profits
Reuters
Published Mar 27, 2024 08:04
Updated Mar 27, 2024 12:36
By Christoph Steitz and Tom Käckenhoff
STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) -German regional utility EnBW on Wednesday joined rivals in forecasting lower profits for 2024 citing an expected fall in power prices.
New CEO Georg Stamatelopoulos also said he expected Germany to begin tenders this year for a programme to build 10 gigawatts of hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plant capacity, calling the overall target low.
The utility said it expected 2024 adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of between 4.6 billion and 5.2 billion euros ($5.0-5.6 billion).
It posted a record high 2023 EBITDA of 6.4 billion on Wednesday, marking a rise of 60% and said it would propose boosting its dividend to 1.50 euros per share from 1.10 euros paid for the prior year.
High prices buoyed profits at EnBW, which is Germany's fourth-largest energy firm by market value behind E.ON, RWE (LON:0HA0) and Uniper.
EnBW's outlook is broadly in line with European rivals that have also forecast falling profits as wholesale power prices have normalised after disruptions linked to the Ukraine war led to extreme price swings.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kusterer noted such profit levels could not "simply be projected into the future".
Still, CEO Stamatelopoulos, who took over earlier this month in a surprise leadership change, said the strong results meant EnBW could increase its planned investments in the years ahead.
Like its peers, EnBW plans significant investments to expand in renewables and energy infrastructure.
The group, which is mainly owned by the German state of Baden Wuerttemberg and local municipalities, targets gross investments of 40 billion euros by 2030.
Of that, 22 billion euros would be net investments, Kusterer said, with the remainder generated through asset rotation including selling stakes in renewable energy assets as well as disposals.
($1 = 0.9235 euros)
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Written By: Reuters
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