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Investing.com -- Endesa (BME:ELE) reported a strong start to the year, with first-quarter net profit doubling to 583 million euros ($662 million), up from 292 million euros a year earlier and topping the 506 million euros expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG.
Revenue rose 6.3% to 5.9 billion euros, while gross operating income (EBITDA) surged 32.6% to 1.43 billion euros.
The company said it remains on track to meet its full-year 2025 guidance.
"We believe that the key catalyst for Endesa will be gaining clarity on the regulatory update, which we believe could be further delayed for a few months due to last week’s blackout contingency," Jefferies analysts led by Arturo Murua said in a note.
The results come a week after the large-scale blackout across the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish utility called on policymakers to reassess the tax regime for nuclear power and improve the financial incentives for grid investments.
The April 28 outage has renewed focus on Spain’s plan to shut down all nuclear reactors by 2035 and the need to upgrade infrastructure to accommodate more renewable energy.
"We need a robust and resilient grid, which requires significant investments, along with fair remuneration," said Endesa CEO Jose Bogas. "A diversified and competitive generation mix is also crucial," he added.
"To this end, it is essential to review the taxation of nuclear power to ensure its economic viability so that it can provide security of supply for years to come."
The company noted that grid connection requests are rising alongside steady electricity demand. Endesa said returns on grid investments should increase to about 7.5% from the current 5.6%, and also urged a revision of the cap on how much utilities can invest in grid infrastructure.