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Investing.com -- Air Liquide (EPA:AIRP), citing strong operational performance and growth prospects, has increased its mid-term margin target and extended its outlook to 2026, on Friday.
The French company now projects a 4.6 percentage point margin improvement over five years (2022-2026), adding 2 percentage points to the target for 2025-2026.
The revised ambition follows a strong 2024 performance, with the Group Operating Income Recurring (OIR) reaching €5.39 billion, up 10.7% on a comparable basis.
The OIR margin increased to 19.9%, up 150 basis points, while the Gas & Services segment, which represents 95% of revenue, saw an OIR margin of 21.5%, improving by 100 basis points excluding energy impacts.
Air Liquide (OTC:AIQUY) reported €27.06 billion in revenue, growing 2.6% on a comparable basis despite currency and energy price fluctuations.
The Gas & Services segment generated €25.81 billion, up 2.7%. Regionally, Americas posted strong growth (+7.3%), while Asia-Pacific increased by 1.6% and EMEA declined by 1.1%.
Net profit (Group share) rose to €3.31 billion, with recurring net profit growing 11.5%, excluding currency effects. Earnings per share increased 7.3% to €5.74, and the company proposed a €3.30 per share dividend, a 13.7% increase.
Cash flow from operations before working capital changes reached €6.54 billion (+2.9%), while net debt stood at €9.2 billion.
The return on capital employed (ROCE) improved to 10.3%, with recurring ROCE at 10.7%, despite higher investments.
Air Liquide made record investment decisions of €4.4 billion in 2024, with a €4.1 billion portfolio of 12-month investment opportunities.
The company continued its structural transformation through digitalization, business service expansion, and efficiency programs.