Pantelakis Securities

PPC results for 2020 out today, analyst projections disagree

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Power utility PPC’s financial results for 2020, set to be announced later today, are seen confirming the corporation’s ongoing positive course.

The company is expected to report robust 4Q results for 2020, including an EBITDA figure of 238 million euros, according to Pantelakis Securities, given its performance for the nine-month last year.

Operating expenses have been contained, fuel prices plunged, wholesale electricity prices fell, and the utility’s reliance on its loss-incurring lignite units was further diminished during the nine-month period.

For 2020 as a whole, the analyst projects PPC’s EBITDA will reach 938 million euros, a 180 percent increase compared to the 336.6 million euros posted in 2019, as a result of higher tariffs, lower energy purchase costs and reduced CO2 emission right expenses.

The extraordinary market conditions last year were favorable for PPC, the analyst pointed out, as the pandemic-related reduction of electricity demand enabled the utility to stop operating its high-cost lignite-fired power stations for extended periods.

PPC is currently phasing out its lignite facilities, until 2023, as part of the country’s decarbonization effort. CO2 emission right costs have begun rebounding since December.

Pantelakis Securities expects PPC’s sales to fall by 10 percent in 4Q to a level of 1.191 billion euros, while net profit for the fourth quarter is estimated at 39 million euros.

For 2020 as a whole, total turnover is expected to fall by 4 percent, year-on-year, to 4.71 billion euros and net profit is anticipated to be 53 million euros.

PPC’s net debt for 2020 is seen slipping to 3.5 billion euros from 3.68 billion euros at the end of 2019.

Optima Bank sees a less favorable picture for PPC’s 2020 results, projecting losses of 79 million euros, well below losses of 1.68 billion euros in 2019, and a total turnover reduction of 5.5 percent, to 4.655 billion euros.

 

PPC financial results for 2019 seen reflecting moves late last year

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Power utility PPC’s financial results for 2019, expected to be released this afternoon, should favorably reflect measures taken by the state-controlled corporation’s administration and the government during the final four months of the previous year, analysts have forecast.

The results, expected once the day’s trading has ended at the Athens bourse, are also expected to include an initial assessment of the impact, so far, of the coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown on the corporate group.

Also expected is an update on new initiatives, including investment plans, for the rest of 2020, following a forced revision of plans prompted by the pandemic.

PPC’s administration has set an operating profit objective of between 420 and 470 million euros for 2019, up from 150 million euros in 2018.

EBITDA figures of 240 million euros for the fourth quarter of 2019 and 337 million euros for 2019, overall, have been forecast by Pantelakis Securities.

During the final few months of 2019, PPC revised tariffs and abolished NOME auctions, described by company and government officials as a loss-incurring measure for the firm.

PPC expects even greater clarity on its financial standing in the immediate future. The corporation is waiting for more appropriate market conditions to securitize unpaid receivables worth 1.5 billion euros and issue a company bond.

Proceeds from these initiatives are expected to enable PPC to move ahead with an ambitious investment plan.