Regulatory News:
NHOA S.A. (EURONEXT PARIS: NHOA.PA) ("NHOA" or the "Company") announces that it has revised downward its consolidated revenue and EBITDA 2025 targets and 2030 outlook, as they were set in its 2023 Universal Registration Document (§ 11) and as announced during NHOA's Capital Markets Day 2023. This follows NHOA's press release of June 26, 2024 in which the Company announced that this guidance was under review.
The table below summarizes the main short term financial targets and long-term outlook for NHOA Group, on a consolidated basis and, for revenues, for each business unit, i.e. the energy storage business unit ("NHOA Energy"), the eMobility joint venture with Stellantis Free2Move eSolutions ("Free2Move") and the fast and ultra-fast charging network of Atlante.
Revenues | EBITDA | |
2025 | Consolidated revenues target of over €500m, expected to be generated as follows:
| Consolidated EBITDA margin target of 3% |
2026 | Consolidated revenues target of over €650m, expected to be generated as follows:
| Consolidated EBITDA margin target of 7% |
2030 | Consolidated revenues outlook of over €1,500m, expected to be generated as follows:
| Consolidated EBITDA margin outlook of 12% |
As indicated in NHOA's June 26, 2024 press release, this downward revision of the Company's guidance stems from recent unfavorable developments in both the electric vehicles' ("EV") and the energy storage markets, that have undermined the underlying assumptions ("2023 Assumptions") of the guidance released with the Capital Markets Day 2023 and reflected in the 2023 Universal Registration Document ("2023 Guidance"). More specifically:
- In the EV market, the growth in sales of EVs has significantly slowed down compared to what was anticipated during the Capital Markets Day 2023.
In Italy for instance, where Atlante has 48% of its points of charge, the 2023 Guidance was assuming 827 thousand EVs in the country as at H1 2024, while today we stand at 243 thousand, meaning -71% less EVs than expected, with the consequent impact on utilization rates and revenues generation for the Atlante network. Similar situation in Spain (-63%), less negative in France (-22%) while more reassuring in Portugal, where the EV fleet is substantially in line with the 2023 Assumptions, but where Atlante operates just 24% of its infrastructure.
The new Bloomberg's EV Market Outlook published on June 12, 2024 reports an unexpected negative trend in Italy (-24% EV sales year-on-year at Q1 2024) and forecasts 450 thousand EVs in the country by 2025 and 833 thousand in 2027, meaning a three years and a half delay of the market compared the 2023 Assumptions.
Indeed, several automakers have cut their near-term goals including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Ford for electric vehicles. With the recent increases in custom duties on Chinese EVs adding to these trends. This is coupled with a growing uncertainty on the policy support for EVs, compared to one year ago shown for example by the reductions in EV incentives in some countries and postponement of the phase-out from internal combustion sales in others, all in a period of important elections, in which the outcome could reduce the pressure on the sector to decarbonize, like for example European elections and ones in the United States.
While the outlook for Free2Move remains in line with the 2023 Guidance, the impact on Atlante is very significant. The lesser than expected utilization rate of 2.0% in Q1 2024 (compared to 2.2% in the whole 2023) is the early sign of the unfolding consequences of this state of events. One of the keys to Atlante's initially planned development was the capacity to fund the rolling out of its ambitious operational goals thanks to a combination of its own cash flows, outside debt (raised on the back of the positive cash flows), public funding and a potential strategic partner. With much lower cash flows expectation than planned, this funding strategy cannot be implemented. As a result, the revised guidance at this stage can only assume existing funding for Atlante's development. By 2025, Atlante would therefore plan to reach 3,000 charging points online (reduced from the 5,000 initially planned). Without additional funding, for which NHOA does not have any visibility at present, the new guidance can only assume development of Atlante network until end of 2025. In other words, the revised guidance assumes in 2030 substantially the same number of points of charge targeted for end of 2025. - In the energy storage market, over the last 6-9 months abrupt oversupply of batteries (that normally represent 60-70% of project costs) from China has led to a reduction in the nominal value of contracts, as customers reasonably expect NHOA Energy and its competitors to pass on the resulting batteries price reduction to them. Furthermore, counterparty risk has increased on the supplier side due to the strong margin compression for battery makers, and NHOA Energy has therefore been more selective in the commercial opportunities it is pursuing. This leads to foresee a delay of approximately two years in the achievement of the medium-term financial targets released with the Capital Markets Day 2023, driven by a more cautious short-term outlook until market rebalances.
NHOA will publish its First Half 2024 Results on July 25, 2024, as planned.
Readers are reminded that, on June 13, 2024 TCC Group Holdings Co., Ltd, NHOA's indirect majority shareholder, has declared its intention to file a simplified tender offer (to be followed by a squeeze out if the legal conditions are met) on the shares of the Company.
NHOA Group
NHOA S.A. (formerly Engie EPS), global player in energy storage, e-mobility and EV fast and ultra-fast charging network, develops technologies enabling the transition towards clean energy and sustainable mobility, shaping the future of a next generation living in harmony with our planet.
Listed on Euronext Paris regulated market (NHOA.PA), NHOA Group forms part of the CAC Mid Small and CAC All-Tradable financial indices.
NHOA Group, with offices in France, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States, Taiwan and Australia, maintains entirely in Italy research, development and production of its technologies.
For further information, go towww.nhoagroup.com
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Instagram
Forward looking statement
This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not undertakings as to the future performance of NHOA. Although NHOA considers that such statements are based on reasonable expectations and assumptions at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual performance to differ from those indicated or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include without limitation those explained or identified in the public documents filed by NHOA with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), including those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of the NHOA 2023 Universal Registration Document, filed with the AMF on April 12, 2024 (under number D.24-0279). Investors and NHOA shareholders should note that if some or all of these risks are realized they may have a significant unfavorable impact on NHOA.
These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the verbs or terms "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "intends", "may", "plans", "build- up", "under discussion" or "potential customer", "should" or "will", "projects", "backlog" or "pipeline" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and that are to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the impacts of the war in Ukraine and the current economic situation pandemic on NHOA's business operations, financial results and financial position and on the world economy. They appear throughout this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding NHOA's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, NHOA's results of business development, operations, financial position, prospects, financing strategies, expectations for product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, reimbursement arrangements, costs of sales and market penetration. Important factors that could affect performance and cause results to differ materially from management's expectations or could affect NHOA's ability to achieve its strategic goals, include the uncertainties relating to the impact of war in Ukraine and the current economic situation on NHOA's business, operations and employees. In addition, even if the NHOA's results of operations, financial position and growth, and the development of the markets and the industry in which NHOA operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. The forward-looking statements herein speak only at the date of this announcement. NHOA does not have the obligation and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements.
Disclaimer
This press release has been prepared for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation to sell NHOA shares in any country, including France. There is no certainty that the simplified tender offer mentioned above will be filed or opened. Under French law, the offer can only be made in accordance with the offer documentation, which must contain the full terms and conditions of the offer. The offer documentation must be submitted to the AMF for review, and the offer may not be opened until the AMF has issued a clearance decision (déclaration de conformité). Any decision relating to the offer must be based exclusively on the information contained in the offer documentation.
The dissemination, publication or distribution of this press release may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions in certain countries. The offer will not be addressed to persons subject to such restrictions, either directly or indirectly, and will not be accepted from any country where the offer would be subject to such restrictions. Accordingly, persons in possession of this press release are required to inform themselves about and to comply with any local restrictions that may apply. The Company declines all responsibility for any breach of these restrictions by any person whatsoever.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240705614151/en/
Contacts:
Press Office: Claudia Caracausi and Davide Bruzzese, Image Building, +39 02 89011300, nhoa@imagebuilding.it
Press Office France: Roxane Planas, +33 6 37 05 84 42, Charlotte Le Barbier, +33 6 78 37 27 60, and Renault Enguerand, Image7, atlante@image7.fr
Financial Communication and Institutional Relations: Chiara Cerri, +39 337 1484534, ir@nhoagroup.com
