Earnings call transcript: De Nora Q4 2024 sees stock dip despite revenue growth

Industrie De Nora SpA (DNR) reported its Q4 2024 earnings, highlighting a 2.6% revenue growth at constant exchange rates and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.2%, surpassing previous guidance. Despite these positive financial metrics, the company’s stock saw a significant downturn, dropping 21.31% to a closing price of €10.04. According to InvestingPro data, the stock’s RSI suggests it’s in overbought territory, while the company maintains a robust financial health score of 2.74 (GOOD). The decline in stock price came amid broader market reactions to De Nora’s future guidance and market conditions.

Key Takeaways

• Full-year 2024 revenues increased by 2.6% at constant exchange rates.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin exceeded expectations at 18.2%.
• Stock price fell by 21.31% following the earnings release.
• Dividend proposal of €0.104 per share, totaling €20.7 million.
• Significant order intake growth, exceeding €800 million.

Company Performance

Industrie De Nora demonstrated robust performance in 2024, with significant achievements in revenue growth and EBITDA margin. The company’s strategic investments in innovation and production capacity, particularly in China, Japan, and Germany, have contributed to its competitive position in the electrochemistry sector. De Nora’s continued focus on sustainability initiatives and renewable energy usage further strengthens its market presence.

Financial Highlights

• Revenue: €254.56 million, a 2.6% increase year-over-year.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin: 18.2%, surpassing the 17% guidance.
• Operational cash generation: €118 million.
• Proposed dividend: €0.104 per share, totaling €20.7 million.
• Total order intake: Over €800 million, up 15% from 2023.

Earnings vs. Forecast

De Nora’s earnings per share (EPS) and revenue forecasts were closely watched by investors. The company’s performance showed resilience, with revenue figures aligning with expectations, although the precise EPS figures were not disclosed in the summary.

Market Reaction

Following the earnings announcement, De Nora’s stock experienced a sharp decline of 21.31%, closing at €10.04. This drop places the stock closer to its 52-week low of €7.36, significantly away from its high of €15.39. Based on InvestingPro’s Fair Value analysis, the stock appears undervalued at current levels. The market’s reaction appears to be influenced by concerns over future guidance and broader market conditions impacting the green hydrogen and water technologies sectors, despite the company maintaining strong fundamentals with more cash than debt on its balance sheet.

Outlook & Guidance

Looking ahead, De Nora projects stable to low single-digit group revenue growth through 2027, with an adjusted EBITDA margin expected between 15-17% for 2026-2027. The company anticipates mid-single digit growth in its Water Technologies segment, though visibility in the Energy Transition business remains limited. Annual operational investments are estimated at €40 million, reflecting ongoing commitments to innovation and capacity expansion.

Executive Commentary

CEO Paolo de la Carte remarked, "Exceptional execution in Q4 leading to above guidance profitability," emphasizing the company’s strong finish to the year. He also highlighted the robust midterm outlook for core businesses, stating, "The midterm outlook for our core businesses remains robust."

Risks and Challenges

• Market volatility in the green hydrogen sector could impact future growth.
• Potential supply chain disruptions may affect production efficiency.
• Economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions could pose challenges.
• Fluctuations in renewable energy costs may influence hydrogen competitiveness.
• The impact of Russian business interruptions on margins remains a concern.

Q&A

During the earnings call, analysts probed into the impact of Russian business interruptions on margins, seeking clarity on potential margin guidance upsides. Discussions also covered cost allocation across business segments and growth prospects in electronics and water technologies.

De Nora remains committed to leveraging its technological leadership and market share in electrochemistry to navigate the evolving industry landscape.

Full transcript - Industrie De Nora SpA (DNR) Q4 2024:

Conference Operator: Thank you for joining the Industria de Nora Full Year twenty twenty four Results and Midterm View Presentation. As a reminder, all participants are in listen only mode. At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Ms. Chiara Locati, IR and ESG of Industria de Nora. Please go ahead, madam.

Chiara Locati, Head of Investor Relations and ESG, Industria de Nora: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our full year twenty twenty four financial results and midterm view presentation. I’m Chiara Locati, Head of Investor Relations and DSG in Denora. With me today, Paolo de la Carte, our CEO and Luca Ollalloro, our CFO. They will walk you through the full year 2024 business and financial achievement, and they are going to give you an overview about the midterm scenario for our business and our end markets. In addition, we will also provide you with a quick update related our sustainability journey.

I would like to remember you that you can find the slide we are going to share with you on the our website in the Investor Relations section. And after the presentation, we will open up a Q and A session. With that, I would like to hand it over to Paolo. Please, Paolo.

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Kiara. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining our video call today and for your interest in Denora. Let me start with a quick overview of the last quarter of twenty twenty four. We finished the year strongly with sound business performance, which brought the full year results in line with the guidance in terms of revenues and above guidance in terms of operating margins. All our business units contributed positively to this performance.

Excellent execution was the name of the game. Despite a demanding schedule based on our customer needs, the execution of our production plants were flawless. And for this, I would like to thank all of our invaluable people working in various plants worldwide. Revenues in the quarter grew by 15% year on year with the core business of electrodes and water technologies increasing by over 17%. The Energy Transition division experienced growth in line with expectations, bringing a total production of green hydrogen technologies to over 2.4 gigawatts since 2022, a global milestone.

We are proud to highlight that just as in 2023, the Energy Transition business unit achieved positive profitability in 2024 as well, despite expenses related to the research and development. This sets up apart from other players active in the same market. Additionally, in the quarter, the order intake recorded an increase of more than 45 year on year, supported by dynamic commercial activities in the core businesses, which are expected to continue into 2025. As a direct result of the strong performance, operational cash generation was positive approximately EUR 60,000,000. Turning to our full year achievement on page five.

20 20 four was full of successes and achievements despite at times a challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical context. The Nora continued to push and achieve a sustainable and profitable growth in all the regions where it operates, thanks to the solid performance of all our business segments. Revenues grew by 2.6 at constant exchange rates and the adjusted EBITDA margin reached 18.2%, exceeding guidance of 17%. Commercial dynamics throughout 2024 were positive across all business units with total order exceeding EUR800 million, up 15% compared to 2023. Additionally, the solid profitability led to an operational cash generation of approximately EUR118 million, which more than covered the investments of the period and allowed us to deliver value to our shareholders of about EUR50 million through dividend distribution and the completion of the buyback plan.

All segments reported solid performances confirming the resilience of our business model. Electro Technologies reported stable revenues at constant exchange rates with an EBITDA margin of 22%, making a significant contribution to the group operating cash generation. The Water segment capitalized on the positive market momentum, which we expect to continue in the coming years, achieving mid single digit revenue growth and 190 basis points increase in EBITDA margin. As for Energy Transition, the revenues expansion of approximately 3% was in line with the guidance and project scheduling. The operating margin of the segment was positive despite our ongoing commitment to research and development activities and some cost inefficiencies typical of innovative production processes and which we already flagged during the year.

In addition to the excellent financial results, the Nord has continued to lay the groundwork for sustainable short and medium term growth. In particular, the company is focused on developing innovative technological solutions such as the new Dragonfly electrolyzers dedicated to small scale green hydrogen generation and launched in 2024. Moreover, we continued investing in research and development activities aimed at evolving our portfolio of sustainable technologies, which currently comprises two seventy eight patent families and over 2,800 Teritola extensions. Finally, we expanded and optimized our production capacity across various business segments involving facilities in China, Japan and Germany. In Italy, work in progressing is progressing on the construction of our Gigafactory, one of the largest plants in Europe, scheduled to start operations in 2026.

Once operational, the plant supported by NFCHE funding granted by the Italian government will have a production capacity up to two gigawatt dedicated to green hydrogen technologies. Additionally, the site will host also facilities related to our traditional business, electro technologies and water technologies, optimizing our production footprint within the national territory. To develop new technologies and strengthen commercial relationships, Denora has entered into new strategic partnership with major international players in different geographies, such as Azaki Gazei in Asia, Aqua Power and Saudi Water Authorities in Saudi Arabia and Middle East, and other strategic alliances for which we cannot disclose the details. Meanwhile, the group’s global organization has continued to evolve with our workforce exceeding 2,000 employees and maintaining a balanced presence across all major regions. In 2024, Denora started implementation of the 02/1930 Sustainability Plan, approved in 2023, aimed at generating sustainable value and positive impact across the entire value chain.

All activities and initiatives planned for 2024 were completed for the introduction of circular design guidance in the research and development processes to the definition of sustainability scorecards to be applied to all our products by 2027 to the development of decarbonization plans for our production facilities in various geographies and finally, the adoption of a policy on diversity, equity and inclusion. De Nora’s clear commitment to ESG was recognized by several external rating and acknowledgments. Notably, MSCI, a leading global ESG rating agency confirmed a AA rating for de Nora. For the second consecutive year, we received the Great Place to Work award in Italy. Additionally, the NORD received validation of its climate targets related to greenhouse gas emission reduction by 02/1930 from the Science Based Targets initiative, SBTI.

Finally, based on positive financial results, the Board of Directors proposed today the distribution of EUR20.7 million of dividend or about EUR0.104 to provide consistent remuneration to our shareholders. In the next slide, we present the main KPIs of our full year 2024 financial performances that Luca will comment on later. Now moving to our business unit performances. Let’s start with the Electrotechnology business. In the last quarter of the year, the segment experienced an acceleration in new orders, which grew by over 45% compared to the same quarter of 2023, primarily driven by the Chlorakali line, bringing the total orders for full year 2024 broadly in line with those of 2023.

Positive momentum in order intake is expected to continue in the coming quarters, based on the dynamic commercial activity we are already observing in these initial months. Indeed, as already anticipated in our last conference call, we expect production capacity in the chlor alkali market to expand moderately over the next years, driven by new build and large conversion projects. Our joint venture, Nucera, is working on basic engineering and design packaging for potential projects in The U. S, in China, Central Europe and Middle East. With regards to the later region, there is a huge project in The Emirates with the potential to become one of the largest chlor alkali plants in the world promoted by Taziz Industrial Chemical Zone that is a JV between ADNOC and ADQ.

The growth drivers for orders and revenues include aftermarket services and technological upgrades of existing plants aimed at improving production and energy efficiency, as well as overall sustainability. The main commercial development geographies in 2024 were Asia, particularly in China, and The Americas. However, positive prospects are also emerging in The Middle East, as mentioned before. As far as the backlog is concerned, we highlight once again that the end of period data does not fully reflect our true revenue growth prospects due to the rapid in for out dynamics of some contracts including those related to aftermarket services. The commercial growth prospects for 2025 are positive and we are confident that we can achieve stable revenues this year compared to 2024, also thanks to a recovery in the Electronics segment.

Finally, during 2024, we optimized the production setup of some of our plants following the expansion of production capacity that took place between 2023 and 2024. This optimization process led to some cost inefficiency in the first quarters of the year, which we were largely overcome in the last quarters. Currently, our flexible and technological advanced production footprint is ready to promptly and efficiently serve our global customers across our different business units. We are now at slide eight. Water market momentum was supportive, allowing us to achieve excellent results, both for the pools and for the Water Technology Systems segments.

As of December 2024, the business unit saw a 20% year on year boost in orders, reaching million in terms of geographies. The growth was mainly driven by North America with 56%, followed by Asia 13 Percent and Middle East 12 Percent. Revenues in both WTS, so Water Technology Systems, and PULSE segments were in line with guidance, growing 5% year on year. The EBITDA margin reached 16.5%, an increase of 190 basis points compared to the full year 2023. In particular I’m particularly pleased with the evolution of the pools lines in 2024.

Revenues grew by 15% compared to the previous year, thanks to million of new orders, up 44% year on year, driven by the American and European markets. The WTS division reported over million new orders, up by about 10% year on year with a balanced distribution between industrial and municipal projects. Worth mentioning that 75% of the latter was drinking water. 60% of orders are related to new installations, while in terms of geographies, the growth was mainly driven by North America, Middle East and Asia. The total business unit backlog grew by 5% compared to December 2023.

Let me proudly underline that the mid single digit expansion of our business unit backlog exceeded the increase in the market, improving our positioning, thanks to our brand recognition of our products, track record of excellent execution and recent efforts to further strengthen our sales network. The outlook for the WTS segment remains positive. We expect continued order growth in the coming quarters together with new attractive opportunities in The Middle East and GCC countries, both in the industrial and municipal sectors. The outlook for the pool segment remains strong, and we confirm mid single digit growth expectation for the full year 2025 and beyond. In the bottom right hand corner of the slide, you can see two flagship projects we were commissioned in 2024, Al Jubail and Tubley.

The first major project completed involved the second phase of the Al Jubail desalination plant upgrade in Saudi Arabia, an initiative by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation. This project led to the creation of the world largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant capable of treating up to 1,000,000 cubic meters of seawater per day with the help of the Norakis technology to produce potable water. In this project, the Norra provided three proprietary technologies, including: Cichlor system for biofouling control of seawater intake through electrochlorination Denora Tetra underdrain filters and Capital Control’s underwater chlorine dioxide generators for the final disinfection of the potable water. Another flagship project completely in 2024 was a Phase four of the Tubli sewage treatment plant expansion in Bahrain, One of the largest public sector ozone plants built in The Middle East. The project was launched in response to rapid population growth in the area and now includes three dedicated lines of capital controls or zone generators to accommodate the increased flow of wastewater, bringing the average daily flow capacity to 400,000 cubic meters per day.

The high quality affluent will then be reused for irrigation and agricultural beautification purposes throughout the Bahrain service area. During 2024, we won several contracts both in the municipal and industrial sector. One of the left hand side on the slide, you can see three key projects in The U. S, Mexico, based on different technologies provided by De Nora in the last quarter: Clortec, Ozone and Cichlor Technologies. The first one is a replacement project that upgrades an existing 1950s plant with modern technology to meet the growing water supply demand in Atlanta, United States.

The new plant with a capacity of approximately 150,000 cubic meters per day and a permitted production of up to 400,000 cubic meter per day supports the water needs of the area. By expanding on-site generation, introducing new chemical feed buildings, the project emphasizes innovation and efficiency in water treatment. Throughout the second project, we acquired two key customers Micron Technology, the semiconductor giant and Exite, the world’s leading EPC, EPCM engineering company. The project aims at achieving superior disinfection performance results by replacing traditional chemicals and offering efficient water treatment without harmful residues or byproducts. The last project relates to the construction of a new ammonia plant in Topolobampo, Mexico, which is and will have a production capacity of 2,220 tons per day.

The project is crucial for addressing the growing demand for fertilizers, particularly Mexico to ensure agriculture productivity and food security. With regard to the new PFAS regulation in The U. S, as already explained during the last conference call, the regulation requires municipalities with higher than allowable PFAS content, four PPT, parts per trillion, to have specific treatment in place within five years. Until June 2026, the activities will primarily revolve around the identification of location with PFAS issues, securing funds to pilot and test the ideal solutions, properly sizing the technology and finally placing the orders. As you know, De Nora has a solid track record in contaminant treatment.

Our sorb solution has twenty five years more than twenty five years of demonstrated effectiveness in treating complex organic and inorganic contaminants such as arsenic, iron, manganese and many others are reliable references also for PFAS treatment. Our pipeline of identified opportunities is growing. As of the December, we had 13 initiatives in place: seven benchtop treatability studies in Research and Development, four completed and three ongoing, four field pilots deployed in The U. S. For municipal drinking water and potable reuse applications, with one completed already in the Pacific Northwest U.

S. And three underway in Ohio, Ohio River Valley, Southeastern U. S. And Southeastern U. S.

Then one new pilot in Italy for a chemical customer and finally, one new pilot in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Water Authority. In conclusion, we are very excited about the growing opportunities in the water space worldwide and are well equipped to capitalize on them, thanks to our comprehensive portfolio of technologies. Let’s move now to our Energy Transition segment. In 2024, these division results were truly impressive. In a global context of market slowdown and uncertainty, our solid backlog based on concrete projects carried out by reliable partners and customers allowed us to record revenues over EUR 100,000,000 with a production of approximately 1.1 gigawatt of technologies dedicated to green hydrogen generation projects.

We are particularly satisfied with the performance, both in terms of production execution and financial results, as well as the overall profitability of the business unit, which was positive despite some slowdowns related to temporary supply chain delays and inefficiencies linked to the scale up of production capacity. In the left corner of the slide, you can see a graph showing that our production and delivery progressively increased from 300 megawatt in 2022 to 1.1 gigawatt in 2024. We have about 1.1 gigawatt in the backlog, which will mainly be completed in the course of 2025. Overall, the total produced technology since 2022, including the backlog, stands at approximately 3.5 gigawatt equivalent technologies, positioning Denora by far as leader in the sector. Regarding the main contract in our backlog, which you can appreciate at the bottom right of the slide, Neom in Saudi Arabia is proceeding on track, and we expect to complete our delivery by first half of twenty twenty five.

The Stegra project in Sweden, which involves the construction of a green hydrogen plant with a capacity of over 700 megawatt for the steel industry, was initiated in the last month of 2024. The construction of a plant is ongoing as evidenced by the photos on the right hand side of the slide. This project will mainly contribute to our revenues of 2025. In addition to these flagship contracts, let me introduce another interesting project we are involved in, which relates to the recovery of lithium from exhausted batteries. You know that Nora is already an active participant in the lithium battery supply chain, providing electrodes and anodic coatings specifically designed to produce a special copper foil as current conductor in the lithium battery packs.

The rapidly growing demand for lithium batteries, however, is straining lithium availability and necessitating the development of efficient recovery solutions to further reduce the carbon footprint of these batteries. The Norah Japan has partnered with a leading Japanese corporation and secured a contract in December of twenty twenty four for the supply of a comprehensive full scale demo plant designed for the recovery of lithium hydroxide from spent batteries. This plant will comply fully with European regulations and international best practices. Once completed and operational, the plant will demonstrate the non advanced solution for lithium recovery from spent batteries, exemplifying circular economy principles. The process will offer additional benefits, including approximately 30% water consumption reduction versus the traditional chemical route, decrease the use of chemicals and minimize waste production, while delivering lithium in a form directly usable for the new battery production.

This new contract marks a significant milestone for Denora, which aims to expand its scope of action in the energy transition, developing innovative solutions to meet the dynamic needs of the market and leveraging its unique technological and research and development positioning. The combined execution of the Neom and Stegra projects along with other smaller contracts already in the backlog provides significant visibility on 2025 revenues. These revenues are expected to grow high single digits compared to 2024, accounting for approximately 97% of the current backlog. Although we are aware that the speed of development of green hydrogen industry has significantly slowed down, the Nora remains focused on maintaining its competitive position based on its undisputed technological leadership. To achieve this, as already mentioned, we continue to develop strategic alliances in various parts of the world, such as Saudi Arabia with Aqua Power and in Asia with Zaki Kaze, with which we have signed a partnership dedicated to small scale solutions.

Speaking of small scale technologies for green hydrogen on Slide 11, well light the five contracts we signed for our Dragonfly solution successfully launched in 2024. It is a small containerized electrolyzer between one and seven point five megawatt. This solution naturally relies on the Nora alkali water electrolysis technology, ensuring high performance and reliability. The High-tech Heat project in partnership with Snam and Tenova was installed at the customer side in 2024, connected in recent weeks and is now operational. The other project, mostly funded by European funds, are at various stages of development and will be completed between 2025 and 2027.

They will produce hydrogen for different uses, from mobility to energy to decarbonizing hard to abate sectors, meeting the demand for decentralized hydrogen production on a smaller scale. Regarding the prospects of this product, which will be manufactured from 2026 in the Gigafactory in Italy we’re building, we observe growing market interest at European level and beyond. Denora aims to continue developing this market segment, also leveraging the strategic partnership with Ezaki Kaze, which has both commercial and technological innovation purposes. The Dragonfly technological solution is centered around the stack, which forms the core of the electrolyzer and is based on the Denora high performing electrodes. Looking ahead, alongside the development of and commercialization of the complete containerized electrolyzers, Denora will also commercialize the stock separately.

In conclusion, 2024 was very positive in terms of business development, despite the progressively complicated macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions. The Noracor business has shown resilience, thanks to its undisputed competitive positioning and high differentiation of industrial and geographical markets. We believe that in the next three years, these core businesses will ensure resilience and value for all stakeholders. Alongside the progressive materialization of the pipeline related to green hydrogen and the capitalization of the other technologies we are developing in the energy transition space and the other businesses. With that and before walking you through our midterm view, I leave the floor to Luca for a quick results overview.

Luca?

Luca Ollalloro, CFO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Paolo, and good morning to you all. Execution was the name of the game in the fourth quarter. The approximately 15 revenue growth in the quarter reflects the excellent performance of all business segments, which successfully delivered on the various projects in the portfolio despite a particularly challenging production schedule. Revenues were in line with the full year 2024 guidance. The Electrotechnology segment’s year on year growth of more than 17% was primarily driven by the chlor alkaline line with the execution of several significant projects initiated in the second half of the year.

The share of aftermarket revenues remained high at over 40% of total sales. The positive momentum in the water market remains strong. The year on year growth in the Water Technologies business, which also exceeded 17%, reflected the solid performance of the pools line, which grew by 20% compared to Q4 twenty twenty three. In addition, the acceleration of projects execution in the Water Technology System line led to a significant increase of around 16%, bringing full year revenues in line with those of 2023. The Energy Transition business grew by 4%, driven by the accelerated execution of projects in the backlog.

Almost all of the delays accumulated between the second and the third quarters caused by temporary slowdowns in the supply chain were recovered. We are now on Slide 14, where you can see the positive impact that the volume increase had on profitability in the fourth quarter. In fact, adjusted EBITDA in Q4 rebounded strongly compared to previous quarters. With respect to the electro technology business, the evolution of the adjusted EBITDA margin compared to Q4 twenty twenty three still reflects a different revenue mix, both geographically and by product. The cost and efficiencies related to the optimization of production setup, which impacted the first three quarters of the year, were almost completely resolved in Q4.

In Water, adjusted EBITDA grew 8% year on year, driven by Water Technology System volume development and a particularly strong performance in Pools. Finally, in energy transition, the EBITDA increase was mainly due to volume recovery and lower than planned costs related to the Gigafactory. Turning to the full year results. Revenues, which were broadly in line with guidance, grew by 2.6% at constant exchange rates, excluding the negative impact of the Japanese yen, which amounted to approximately EUR 16,000,000 in total. The solid performance was driven by the stability of the electrodes business at constant exchange rates, mid single digit growth in Water Technologies, driven by the strong recovery of the pool segment in 2024 and low single digit growth in the energy transition business.

The latter was driven by the successful execution of the two main projects in the backlog, Neom and Stegra, which will continue to support revenue growth in 2025. Aftermarket accounted for approximately 33% of total sales, with a later technologies accounting for 45% and water technology systems for 38%. The geographical distribution of sales was balanced. The APAC region increased its share in 2024, driven by the electrodes business, which also continues to perform well in The Americas. The Americas and The Middle East remains the most important region for the water business.

Finally, Energy Transition revenues are currently concentrated in The Middle East and Europe. On Page 16, we highlight our backlog at the December 2024 that Paolo has already commented on. Now turning to Slide 17, which provides an overview of our operating cost structure. Cost of goods sold as a percentage of revenue increased in 2024 compared to 2023. This was primarily due to a different revenue mix, mainly in the electrode business technology business.

In addition, as previously mentioned, the optimization of the expanded production capacity resulted in certain cost inefficiencies that impacted the electrical technology and the energy transition businesses in the first quarters of the year. These inefficiencies were largely resolved in the last quarter. The increase in G and A and corporate costs reflected the strengthening of our corporate structure to support business management and growth worldwide. Finally, R and D expenses remained stable as a percentage of revenues, averaging around 2%. The slight decrease in absolute terms reflects the optimization of certain fixed costs, despite the increase in the number of researchers, which exceeded 110 in 2024.

The adjusted EBITDA margin at the end of ’20 ’20 ’4 was 18.2%, exceeding our guidance of 17% by more than one percentage point. The evolution compared to 2023, as explained in the previous slide, still reflects a different revenue mix, both geographically and by product within the Electrotechnology business. This revenue mix might continue to impact 2025 results. On the other hand, the costs related to the optimization of the production setups, as previously described, will no longer affect the profitability in 2025. I would like to highlight that the Water Technologies business reported adjusted EBITDA growth of approximately 19%, mainly driven by volume expansion in the Pool segment and positive contract development in Water Technology System.

In the energy transition, positive EBITDA reflects the acceleration of volumes in the last quarter of the year, as well as lower expenditures related to the Gigafactory. The change in profitability compared to 2023 is mainly due to a different project mix and the aforementioned production inefficiencies that occurred in the first quarter of twenty twenty four. Finally, at the group level, some one time items related to the negotiation and settlement of certain contracts contributed to better than expected profitability. In conclusion, on slide 19, let’s take a look at the evolution of our net financial position. In 2024, we generated approximately $118,000,000 in cash from operations, driven by satisfactory economic and profitability results.

EBITDA cash conversion rate was over 75%. Operating cash flow covered capital expenditures for the period as well as dividends and share buybacks of approximately 50,000,000. The share buyback program launched in 2023 has now been completed. Excluding shareholder remuneration, free cash flow for the period would have been approximately $49,000,000 Investment to develop the group’s operating structure were lower than expected in the previous plan. Thanks to the careful evaluation of initiatives in light of recent market developments.

In 2024, about 40% of investments were taxonomy aligned with a primary focus on activities related to climate change mitigation objectives. I would like to emphasize that investments made in 2023 and 2024 have significantly upgraded our plants in terms of production capacity and technological innovation. We will be able to leverage these upgrades to drive business growth. This combined with reduced capacity expenditures will allow us to generate a healthy level of operating cash flow. In conclusion, the group’s solid financial structure puts us in an optimal position to take advantage of internal and external growth opportunities and to manage a challenging short term scenario in energy transition, while maintaining resilience in our core business.

With that, I would like to hand over to Chiara for the update on our ESG journey.

Chiara Locati, Head of Investor Relations and ESG, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Luca. Let’s play a short video to show you our achievement in the ESG environment in 2024.

Chris Leonard, Analyst, UBS: Okay.

Chiara Locati, Head of Investor Relations and ESG, Industria de Nora: In 2024, we started the execution of the 2,030 sustainability plan. All the activities we had planned to carry out were completed. And in particular, we successfully implemented 24 initiatives across the various pillar of our strategy. Many of the 2024 objectives involved the setting up processes and initiatives such as preparing decarbonization plan for our plants worldwide, adopting key policies like those related to diversity, equity and inclusion and setting up the framework of the sustainability scorecard that will be applied to all our products by 2027. Additionally, after a careful analysis of the group’s historical data, some new quantitative objectives have been selected and defined, such as the percentage of female presence in the new hires over the next few years, set at 40% and the percentage of waste to be recycled by 02/1930, set at 55%.

De Nora has continued to implement plans for self production of energy from renewable sources by installing photovoltaic panels at various production sites. By the end of twenty twenty four, the installed capacity reached approximately 3.6 gigawatt hours across plants in Germany, Italy and Brazil. The renewable energy used at the group level increased to 29% in 2024, up from 3% in 2023, supporting an overall reduction in emission, scope one and two, of approximately 15% compared to the baseline 2022. De Nora’s clear commitment to generating positive impacts has been accredited by various ratings and external recognition as already Paolo told you. In particular, MSCA has confirmed the Nora’s AA rating.

For the second year in a row, we received the great place to work recognition in Italy and for the first time in China. Finally, the nora obtained validation of its climate targets related to the reduction of greenhouses gas emission by 02/1930 from the science based target initiatives. This year, we have almost completed the setup of our sustainability framework, let me say, machine. Now we must continue working to achieve our targets by 02/1930. But please remember, the Nora’s commitment to creating sustainable value for its stakeholder remains stronger and unchanged.

Now before I hand the floor back to Paolo for the midterm view, please allow me to present to you our taxonomy disclosure and our contribution to the UN SDGs. Regarding the new taxonomy this year, the total aligned revenues climbed to 19%, up from 9% in 2023. The Aligned revenues are related to our Green Hydrogen activity and also include aftermarket revenues in the electro technology business, typically recruiting activities that the new taxonomy recognized as contributing to circular economy targets. As you can see, considering the eligible percentage of revenues, we can further improve our share of Align revenues, and we will work on that in 2025 and beyond. Additionally, the percentage of aligner CapEx and OpEx increased in 2024, reaching approximately forty percent and twenty nine percent, respectively.

Regarding our contribution to the SDGs, this year, we have worked to identify KPIs that effectively reflect our efforts, as shown on the slide. Also in this area, we aim to improve disclosure, particularly with reference to the KPIs related to water business unit for which we are working to provide more comprehensive disclosure regarding revenues. And we are confident that these KPIs will improve. With that, I would like to hand the floor back to Paolo.

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Kiara. Thank you, Kiara. Our midterm view reflects the resilience consistently demonstrated by our business model, particularly in the core business of electrodes and water technologies. Denora is the leading global player in electrochemistry, both in technological leadership, efficient and flexible production capacity, an international footprint and a unique global market diversification. This strategic positioning has enabled the group to navigate complex market conditions and capitalize on favorable opportunities.

The group has achieved steady revenue growth and maintained healthy operating profitability underpinning a robust financial structure. The group has two seventy eight parent families supported by a geographically widespread research and development structure with more than 100 researchers that fosters a high level of innovation in our portfolio. Over the past two years, our vitality index, a measure of R and D efficiency, has increased by approximately six percentage points. Our extensive geographical presence with 24 operating companies and 14 production plants in four continents is another key strength, allowing us to be close to the target market and respond promptly to our customer needs. Amid the complex macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges over recent years, the extensive diversification of our end industrial markets has strengthened the resilience of our business model, allowing us to effectively navigate temporary slowdowns in specific segments.

Next, I will present an overview of how our business units are positioned across various markets, along with their development projects as detailed in the upcoming dates. Let’s begin with the Electrotechnology business, which currently accounts for approximately 53% of our total group revenues. Denora holds a leading position across all segments in which it operates, with an average market share exceeding 50%, with a well recognized and reputable brand in chlor alkali, in electronics, in mining and many other applications. The chlor alkali segment primarily serves many chemical industries such as PVC, Pulp and Paper and other markets, Mining. While the long term prospects for this sector appears promising, the short to medium term outlook is expected to remain stable.

The key growth drivers include the service demands of a large well established customer base, global GDP growth spurring additional installed capacity and technological upgrades initiatives aimed at reducing energy cost and improving plant efficiency, particularly in China and The United States. In The U. S, in particular, for coming technological advancements, we’ll focus on the shift from diaphragm technologies to a safer, more efficient membrane technologies. In the Electronics segment, weak demand and overcapacity in China adversely impacted the Electrical business in 2024. However, the market is anticipated to gradually recover beginning in 2025, primarily driven by the growth in the computer and communication sectors, for example, artificial intelligence and data centers.

Technological trends and electrification incentives will be the key drivers for this market, which is expected to grow at a high single digit rate over the next three years. Asia markets are the primary areas of interest for this business. In the Metal Refining segment, the installed capacity for nickel and cobalt electro weaning is expected to remain stable over the coming years. Electro demand will continue to be driven by maintenance cycles and technological upgrades. However, current sanctions on Russia are creating challenging market conditions for the European players.

Our strategy for this business unit is centered on maintaining our position as a global leader by reinforcing our competitive advantage in key markets. We plan to achieve this through continuous innovation and improvements in electrode performances and quality, leveraging our extensive product portfolio, global footprint and strong partnership with key customers and stakeholders. Our strategic focus includes advancing the development of our state of the art electrodes to deliver enhanced efficiency and sustainable performance. While we aim to strengthen relationship with our customers and partners, we do not foresee additional capacity expansion at this time. Thanks to a recent plant upgrades in China and Japan.

We are committed to expanding aftermarket services globally with a particular emphasis on Asia. This initiative will capitalize on the new coating line in Suzhou, China to better serve electronics customers who prioritize performance and quality. From a geographical standpoint, in addition to our established markets in The U. S, Asia, Europe and India, we anticipate new growth opportunities in The Middle East. We are now on Slide 27.

The Water Technology business accounts for approximately 35% of total group revenues. This unit is divided into two key segments: there is a Residential Pool segment, which currently makes up 33% of business unit and the Water Technology Systems segment focused on water disinfection and filtration for municipal and industrial applications. This segment leverages various technologies, including electrochlorination, an innovative solution designed for both disinfection and filtration purposes. In the pool segment, the De Nora is undisputed global leader, holding a global market share of around 80%. Its presence in particularly strong in The United States, followed by Europe and Australia.

Among emerging markets, Latin America, in particular Brazil, show significant growth potential. Electrode replacement services will remain the primary growth driver supported by an expanding installed base and technological conversions. The shift to salt chlorination, so called salt chlorination technology, is primarily fueled by its superior sustainability, water quality, enhanced disinfection performances and cost advantages in chlorine use. Our strategic focus is to sustain strong, broad and deep relationship with all key customers while securing long term contracts. This segment is projected to grow at the mid single digit rate over the next three years.

Regarding the Water Technology Systems, Denora is among the top three players in all the specific segments providing a cutting edge, complete portfolio of solutions and a strong brand recognition supported by high performances and aftermarket services. Factors such as climate change, water scarcity, drought and urbanization have made sustainable water management a top priority for the world. And the Nora clearly plays a central role as our water technologies are dedicated to ensuring access to clean and safe water for communities and to develop more sustainable industrial processes worldwide. Our water technologies are unique by design for their superior quality, durability and their proven ability to meet customer needs. Our strategic focus is on the electro chlorination business, which is expected to grow in several geographies, both in the municipal and industrial sectors.

Following the replacement of treatments based on chemicals with electrochemical systems for on-site production of solutions containing active chlorine. These systems offer a more sustainable, secure and cost efficient approach by addressing the challenges associated with the transportation, the storage and handling of chemicals, while also mitigating issues related to chemical disinfection by products. Furthermore, we have entered the emerging contaminant sector by designing and delivering solutions for the treatment of PFAS, addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges at our times. The Water Technologies segment is overall expected to grow at a mid single digit rate and the main geographies of interest are North America, Europe and Middle East And Asia, in particular China. Finally, with reference to the Water Technology Systems, we are exploring external growth opportunities that could accelerate the development of the business unit, integrating technologies along the value chain or providing access to new markets.

Let’s now take a look at our Energy Transition business, particularly focusing on the green hydrogen market. The green hydrogen market is expected to play a key role in the decarbonization processes of hard to abate sectors with significant growth prospects in the medium to long term, and Denora is very well equipped to ride this wave. However, the short term scenario remains uncertain. As mentioned before, regulatory uncertainty has resulted in slowdowns in the final investment decisions of green hydrogen projects globally. The development of the sector requires greater clarity on regulatory frameworks and related subsidies, particularly in geographies where the overall cost of green hydrogen production is not yet competitive compared to the hydrogen produced with fossil fuels.

As of today, based on projects that have already reached the final investment decision and those planned globally, it is expected that by 02/1930, the installed production capacity will be around 30 gigawatt. However, an acceleration in the development of market supporting regulations in both Europe and America could increase this forecast to 100 gigawatt. Additionally, in Europe, a small to medium system size market is progressively developing. And in Italy, it is estimated to reach about 0.4 gigawatt by 02/1930 in terms of installed capacity. Among the other main drivers of market development, the setup of an appropriate infrastructure to transport the hydrogen, the cost of renewable energy plays a key role.

Electricity cost is the most significant factor in determining the levelized cost of hydrogen, the so called LCOH, accounting for about 50% to 60%. As long as renewable energy remains expensive, producing hydrogen at a competitive cost will be challenging. It is worth noting that there are geographies where the favorable cost of renewable energy could already make the production cost of green hydrogen almost competitive with the debt of the gray hydrogen. For example, in The Middle East and North Africa, as well as in some areas of the Southern And Northern Europe, which are respectively favored by the presence of sun and wind. We expect that the next project will progressively begin to develop and materialize in these areas.

Other geographies expected to play a significant role include China, India and Australia. Finally, with reference to The United States, it is noted that the current political situation has at least temporarily suspended the growth prospects for the sector. Pending a clear understanding of the practical implication of the famous Chapter 45V of the Inflation Reduction Act. With reference to technologies, alkali water technologies is expected to continue playing a predominant role even in 02/1930. In this context, Denora with 2.4 gigawatt realized and an additional 1.1 gigawatt in the portfolio is a leader in the sector with a market share above 50% in the medium and large scale plant market.

Regarding the small scale segment in 2024, we launched our proprietary solution, the Dragonfly, which has already garnered significant interest. All in all, we remain strongly positioned in the green hydrogen space, and let me give you some color on that on the next slide. The Nora enjoys several key competitive advantages versus other market players. First, the experience and know how in the production of high efficiency coated electrodes stemming from over one hundred years of leadership in the chlor alkali market. Second, a structured and continuous research and development activity that allows us to keep improving our technology with limited financial efforts, leveraging once again the cross functional skills developed in the various segments in which we operate.

These two elements enable us to guarantee our customers competitive plant management cost, durability of products and aftermarket services. In the face of an absolutely unique operational efficiency in the market, which is three to five times higher than the solutions offered by competitors. Our global presence and production footprint along with the continuous development of strategic alliances complete our unmatched competitive positioning at global level. Our development strategy in the Energy Transition segment includes strengthening our partnership with key players such as Nusera and Azaki Kazei for the small scale plants and developing new strategic alliances globally. With reference to small scale solutions, we are considering complementing the commercialization of the entire containerized systems with the production and commercialization of stacks.

High value added products where the Nora expertise is concentrated. Finally, we aim to lead innovation by enhancing and making existing technologies more sustainable and by exploring new Adiashance opportunities such as anion exchange membrane, AEM, lithium refining and liquid organic hydrogen carriers with the methylcyclohexane. Let’s now have an overview of our pipeline. Our project pipeline continues to provide significant growth opportunities in Europe, in North America and Middle East, India and Australia. Europe remains the most promising region for final investment decisions in 2025.

Actively pursued projects grew consistently in the last three years with increasing average project size. However, in the short term, final investment decisions for new projects are taking longer than expected as already commented before. In 2025, we expect to seek clarification on many policies and regulatory schemes, which is crucial for unlocking the potential of green hydrogen. The Clean Industry Deal, recently launched by the European Commission, aims to strengthen industrial competitiveness and support net zero goals with a dedicated focus on hydrogen. Key measures include the third hydrogen bank auction scheduled for Q3 twenty twenty five with a EUR 1,000,000,000 budget, while the results of the second auction amounting to EUR 1,200,000,000.0 are expected in Q2 twenty twenty five.

The resilience criteria applied in the second EU hydrogen bank auction include the limitation of the sourcing of electrolyzers from China to a maximum of 25% of a project’s capacity. In addition, compliance with European international safety and cybersecurity standards is also mandatory. These rules will clearly support European manufacturing and supply of electrolyzed equipment to the awarded projects. Additionally, the low carbon hydrogen delegated act is expected to be published in March 2025, so this month, providing greater regulatory clarity for investors. Other key regulations and developments include 2,400,000,000.0 from the innovation fund for the carbonization projects expected in Q3 twenty twenty five The HIFFE initiative to accelerate the development of hydrogen across Europe.

On the infrastructure front, billion has been allocated to 41 cross border initiatives, including the South H2 Corridor and H2 Med. In The United States, the situation is currently at a standstill. As commented before, it remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in the coming weeks and months. In Spain, which thanks to low energy cost and the recent removal of the windfall tax, significant investments opportunities at Verizon with a rapidly expanding project pipeline. In addition, the second auction of H2Global funded by Germany and The Netherlands has been launched with the EUR 2,500,000,000.0 allocated.

Finally, on the national front, Italy presented its new national hydrogen strategy in November 2024 with a goal of three gigawatt by 02/1930 and the tariff decree is ready for Brussels review. We are now at slide 32. Before leaving the floor to Luca for the financial guidance, let me briefly remind you of our distinctive production footprint. We have a world leading production capacity with a well balanced presence across America, EMEA and Asia. With 14 plants strategically located in The Americas, EMEA and Asia, we ensure proximity to our customers, which is also key for aftermarket activities.

Another main characteristics is the high flexibility of our production capacity, allowing us to switch between production lines within the same plants. This applies to all technologies based on electrochemistry, including those dedicated to chlor alkali, to electronics, pools, energy transition, enabling us to quickly adapt to short term changes in our end markets. Additionally, as you know, in 2023 and 2024, we made a series of investments that expanded our production capacity, particularly in Asia, China, Japan and Germany with technology upgrades. In The U. S, we are going to inaugurate a new innovation resource center focused on colloquially energy transition pretty soon.

As such, our global production footprint allows us to size growth opportunities in our target markets without the need of major additional investments. This will be reflected in our CapEx plan for the next three years, which is approximately 30% lower than that of the previous plan. We will, of course, pursue the construction of our Giga factory in Italy, which we expect to start production in 2026. Initially, this will enable an expansion of our energy transition capacity by 0.5 gigawatt. The production side will also be dedicated to our core businesses, Water Technologies and Electro Technology, in line with the flexibility, allowing us to optimize the national production setup.

Regarding Deepsea funds, we have been allocated EUR 63,000,000. Considering the current condition of the green hydrogen market, we are reassessing the economic and financial flows related to the project as Luca is going to explain to you later. To conclude, our international footprint is an asset that sets up apart from other global peers. It enable us to respond quickly and effectively to evolving market dynamics with minimal investments. With that, I leave the floor to Luca, who will present our financial guidance.

Luca Ollalloro, CFO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Paolo. In 2024, the global macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape was defined by several factors of instability and uncertainty, which most likely will persist throughout 2025. However, due to the good revenue visibility provided by our backlog, particularly in the Water and Energy Transition businesses and the promises commercial dynamics we are observing in the first months of the year in the Electrotechnology business, we expect 2025 to be another year of of growth with healthy profitability and operational cash generation. Regarding revenues, Electro Technologies will be impacted by the interruption of the business with a Russian customer, which resulted from the issuance of the latest sanctions package against Russia. On the other hand, we expect a slight recovery in the electronics line in the second half of the year.

For the Water Technologies business, thanks to the solidity of the backlog and the positive order trend expected to continue in the first quarters of the twenty twenty five, we anticipate a mid single digit growth supported by both the pools and the Water Technology Systems. Notwithstanding, the disposal of the Marine business occurred in 2024 and the decision to exit the fracking business line. Finally, regarding the Energy Transition business, the projects in the backlog provide visibility of high single digit growth compared to 2024. In terms of profitability, we expect an adjusted EBITDA of around 17%, slightly lower than 2024, which benefited from some positive one offs in Q4, mainly related to the Electrode Technology business. In addition, we expect an impact from the above mentioned interruption of the Electrode winning business, which in Russia, which was characterized by good profitability.

The adjusted EBITDA margin for the energy transition is expected to be positive and broadly in line with 2024, although including recurring costs for the Gigafactory of approximately EUR 2,000,000 and R and D costs for about 10% of revenues. Moving to Slide 33. Let’s analyze our outlook for the next three years. Despite global macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, the outlook for our core business, including water treatment, chlorine production, electronics and non ferrous metal refining, remain intact and positive. Our robust positioning supported by broad geographic and industrial market diversification confirms the resilience of our business model.

As a result, we expect revenues of our core business to grow at low single digit rate over the next three years. This forecast includes a stable performance in the Electrotechnology business and mid single digit growth in the Water business. With regard to the energy transition, as highlighted on several occasions during this call, visibility on the pace of development of this market is very limited. In particular, with regard to the final investment decisions on projects in the pipeline. Indeed, while our pipeline is rich and growing, its materialization depends on external factors, in particular regulatory ones, over which we have no control.

For this reason, for what concerns 2026 and 2027 revenues, we will progressively update the market on the evolution of the backlog and refine revenue forecasts based on green hydrogen market developments and as and when appropriate. Currently, with the good visibility we have on our core businesses, which certainly set us apart in the market, we are projecting stable to low single digit group revenue growth through 2027, with a lower annual contribution from the Energy Transition division versus the level achieved in 2025. With regard to the adjusted EBITDA margin, it should be noted that the reduction in volumes related to the Energy Transition business will lead to reduction in volumes related to the Energy Transition business will lead to a temporary decline in margins at the consolidated level. Therefore, the group adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 1517% in 2026 and 2027. For what concerns the evolution of margins linked to the temporary decline in volumes of the Energy Transition segment, it is noted that Denora, although always focused on optimizing operating costs, intends to maintain and retain industrial, operational and technological skills during this transition phase in order to capture opportunities related to the next new growth phase of the green hydrogen market, while accepting temporary industrial inefficiencies.

Allow me to provide some further insights on profitability by segment. The Water business is expected to maintain profitability in line with 2024. For Later Technologies, we expect a slight reduction in operating margin, linked to the relocation of industrial and general operating cost as a consequence of the lower volumes in the Energy Transition segment. Regarding the Energy Transition, we highlight that with a revenue level in line with 2024, our business model allow us to achieve a positive margin that sets us apart from other players in the sector. It goes without saying that in 2026 and 2027, with lower volumes, we project a negative profitability.

Finally, with specific reference to the Gigafactory project, which has received a grant from the Italian government in the form of a contribution to expenses from the EPCEI Hydrogen One funds for a total amount of EUR 63,000,000, it is noted that the plan incorporates economic and financial assumptions and hypothesis reassessed in light of the evolution of the hydrogen market, which will be shared with the competent authorities. From an accounting perspective, starting in 2024, we have separated recurring costs related to the Gigafactory project from those considered nonrecurring. Nonrecurring costs, which are eligible for EPCEI, are mainly R and D and manufacturing expenses aimed at technological development. The above discussed EBITDA for the period twenty twenty four, twenty twenty six includes only recurring costs and excludes no recurring costs, which net of the respective EPCI contribution will be accounted for in the reported EBITDA. In 2025 and 2026, the net non recurring costs are expected to have a limited impact, not exceeding 1,000,000, while the recurring costs are anticipated to be about, on average, EUR 2,000,000 per year.

From 2027, all Gigafactory costs will be reported as recurring. On the next slide, you can see our projections for the twenty twenty fivetwenty twenty seven investment plan. With reference to the CapEx plan twenty twenty fivetwenty twenty seven, as already mentioned during this conference, the investments completed in 2024 and 2025 have allowed us to achieve an optimal production setup for business growth through 2027 and beyond, while retaining the agility to adapt to future market dynamics. From this moment onwards, we expect that the group will be able to operate with a level of operational investments, which includes maintenance and industrial optimization, corporate structure such as IT, R and D, equipment and others amounting to approximately EUR 40,000,000 annually. The remaining extraordinary investments included in the plan are the construction of the Gigafactory in Italy and the Milan headquarter expansion, which are going to be carried out mainly in 2025 and partially in 2026.

Indeed, it should be noted that the temporal distribution of investments will not be linear during the planned period, but there will be higher concentration in 2025, followed by decreasing trend in the following years. As a result, we expect the financial position at the end of twenty twenty seven to remain in line with 2024. In addition, we confirm our dividend distribution policy, which guarantees an annual payout up to 25%. I’ll now hand it back to Paolo to conclude this presentation.

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Luca. Before concluding this presentation, allow me to share some additional thoughts on our medium term outlook and beyond. While our business plan prioritize organic growth, Denora is also exploring strategic expansion through M and A to accelerate value creation. Our M and A strategy focuses on strengthening our presence along the value chain, for example, in water treatment and expanding into new markets. We target acquisitions that enhance our technological capabilities, broaden our customer base and generate synergies that drive operational efficiencies and margin improvements.

We take a disciplined approach to M and A, prioritizing financially accretive transactions that align with our long term growth objectives. Our focus is on business with strong fundamentals, complementary technologies and scalable operations that integrate seamlessly into our existing footprint. Our reputation and unparalleled technological leadership define us as an attractive and respected collaboration partner for target companies. With over one hundred years track record in industrial excellence as well as by leveraging our financial strength and capital allocation discipline, we aim to create sustainable value for our shareholders while enhancing our ability to serve customers with innovative, high quality solutions. This approach will not only enhance our growth trajectory, but also confirm our status as a tech leader in the industry.

Isago Bramila, Analyst, Mediobanca: In the

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: second half of this decade, we aim to unlock new value streams by exploring untapped opportunities and fostering innovative value creation. We are preparing the next phase of expansion by leveraging global strategic alliances, many of which cut across different business segments that, as you know, are interconnected. While confidentiality often prevents us from disclosing the identities of our partners, we are confident that these alliances will yield significant positive results in the medium term, extending our global reach and diversifying our product categories. We maintain a strong focus on continuous product innovation and pioneering new solutions by leveraging our electrochemistry lithium recycling from spent batteries and lithium refining from Salars and Salt Lakes using electrolysis based technologies. For over a century, our commitment to developing state of the art solutions aligned with the market trends and customer needs has been the cornerstone of the Nora business model.

We remain committed to upholding this legacy of excellence. In parallel with these efforts, we are continuing to build on our proven track record as pioneers, ready to lead the next wave of green hydrogen innovation. Let’s now move to the final remarks before open up our Q and A session. Now to wrap up. Here, our final remarks.

Exceptional execution in Q4 leading to above guidance profitability. 2024 order intake provides strong revenues visibility for 2025. ’20 ’20 ’5 will be another year of growth and solid cash generation. The midterm outlook for our core businesses remains robust. The midterm outlook for energy transition is uncertain.

Acceleration in regulatory certainty could provide upside. Beyond 2027, strategic alliances, technology developments and potential external growth will drive performances. Now let’s open for the Q and A session. Thank you, everybody.

Conference Operator: Thank you, sir. This is the Chorus Call conference operator. We will now begin the question and answer session. The first question is from Isago Bramila of Mediobanca.

Isago Bramila, Analyst, Mediobanca: Hi, good morning, everybody. Thanks for taking my questions. I have two. The first one is on the margin outlook. Just wondering to understand a bit better the range the building blocks of the range you gave for 2027.

Could you provide a bit more color on the headwinds from the interruption of business in Russia? How much is it impacting your guidance in 2025 and later on? And also the impacts of the allocation of costs to Electrode Technologies, just for modeling purposes, what we should assume for Electrode maybe margins going towards 20%, something like that. On top of this, a more general question, should we look at this 15% to 17% adjusted EBITDA margin as a sort of worst case range assuming no contracts at all are worth it in energy transition. Second question is on the hot wheels pipeline.

This line has sort of disappeared from the presentation, if I’m not mistaken. So just wondering why that and if we should assume these initial agreements have been canceled or just a different approach on communication by you?

Luca Ollalloro, CFO, Industria de Nora: Thanks. Thank you, Zako. So the interruption in Russia is, let’s say, the part of the electro winning business with from 2025 compared to 2024 and onwards, let’s say, a reduction of around million of turnover with very good profitability because the later winning on average has a better profitability than the rest of the business. So this is one of the reason why we have this, let’s say, reduction of profitability both in 2025 and onwards. The other reason is the allocation of cost, as you mentioned, of the ETR business to electrode business, you know that these businesses are sharing production capacity.

And therefore, some of the industrial costs are, let’s say, we want to retain some of the people the people that work in our plant in order to be ready for the possible, let’s say, additional revenues that might come from 2027 onwards. And will this will impact both the consolidated at consolidated level and on energy transition and on, sorry, electrode for around one percentage point of EBITDA. The 15% to 17% of EBITDA is a kind of floor, I might say. This is calculated on lower, as we said, revenues from ETR, both in 2026 and 2027. Additional orders that might come will provide additional contribution margin that will go directly to the EBITDA.

Therefore, this 15%, seventeen % range is definitely a floor. Other reason for this, let’s say, decline in the EBITDA are in twenty twenty five, twenty seventeen, we said, compared to 2018 of 2024 is also the one offs that we had in 2024 for around €4,000,000 that are not forecasted in 2025 and in the following years. Then we in terms of product and geographical mix, we might say that in 2026 and 2027, there will be this reduction in electro winning. As we said, that will be lower in terms of contribution to the group. And this will be partially offset by an increase in the Electronics segment.

These are the driver of the profitability of the following years.

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: Yes. The old deals, let me say, we decided to represent in a different way. For sure, there are old deals, one of which could be even closed pretty soon. But considering the current scenario, we prefer to represent the so called actively pursued project, meaning the project that we are really actively working on, even though, as we said, it’s not clear when they will be finalized, even though there’s a lot of activities that you also can see from the older the media going around with a lot of initiatives at European level in other countries that are pushing into that direction.

Isago Bramila, Analyst, Mediobanca: Makes sense. Thanks, Bhaskar, for the answers.

Conference Operator: The next question is from Chris Leonard of UBS.

Chris Leonard, Analyst, UBS: Yes. Hi there. Can you hear me? Hopefully, you can.

Conference Operator: Yes, sir. We hear you.

Chris Leonard, Analyst, UBS: Thanks. Yes, just a few questions for me, please. So just a follow-up on 2025 margins. I think the commentary on the call was that there was costs on production setup that won’t repeat in 2025. Obviously, you just said about the one off costs or one off benefits of $4,000,000 that came through in 2024.

Are these two factors sort of messing up against each other? Or actually could the cost of production be that’s going away in 2025 be more of a benefit? So that’s the first question. Second question is on the electrode business as well. I think you said on the call that electronics should be rebounding in the second half and historically that’s been a higher margin element for you.

So should that potentially if that comes through lead to a higher margin in 2025 for the electrode segment? Or are we in a position that electrode winning being weaker is going to mitigate that, electronics getting stronger? And third question, if I can, was on the water guidance, mid single digit growth given, but I think the WTS backlog is very strong and swimming pool exposure increased 15% year over year in 2024. Should we be expecting a similar swimming pool growth rate in 2025, particularly aftermarket comes through from the installations back in 2019 to 2020 during the COVID years? And if so, could that drive higher revenue growth if that comes through and equally higher margins?

So those are three questions. Thanks.

Luca Ollalloro, CFO, Industria de Nora: Thank you, Chris. Yes, with regard to 2025, the production setup, as we said, has been resolved in ’20 at the end of in the last quarter of twenty twenty four. Therefore, we do not expect additional negative impact for this reason. And the but the one off effect of 4,000,000 in Q4, we cannot forecast these events that are related to, let’s say, mostly, let’s say, past years negotiation with clients that had impact in 2024 for the release of provisions. So we cannot expect this kind of events to in 2025, we do not forecast at least this kind of event.

So there is an offset of these two events. But on top of this, as we said, due to the sanctions against Russia, we lost EUR 20,000,000 of turnover with high profitability. That’s why 2025, let’s say, again, the flow that we expect is 17% in terms of it’s circa 70% in terms of EBITDA. With regard to the electrode business, yes, the electronics is will grow. We gain, let’s say, shares in our turnover with slightly higher profitability versus the rest of the business of the electrodes.

This will start in the second part of twenty twenty five, but the impact in 2025 in terms of additional turnover is not huge. So we do not expect a great impact in 2025 from Electronics. It will be probably in the next years. And this, again, is offset by the electro winning effect. So the decrease in terms of percentage on our turnover of the electro winning sector.

Water, this is the guidance that you saw. It’s flat it’s a mid single digit growth and flat in terms of profitability, in terms of percentage. The first months of twenty twenty five, especially on Poolsa, let’s say, have been good. It’s early to say if this is a potential upside towards this guidance, but first months are promising on the pool side.

Conference Operator: Gentlemen, Mr. Takati, there are no more questions at this time.

Chiara Locati, Head of Investor Relations and ESG, Industria de Nora: Thank you very much for attending our presentation. And as Investor Relations team, of course, we are available for any additional information you would need. Thank you again.

Paolo de la Carte, CEO, Industria de Nora: Thanks, everybody.

Conference Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining. The conference is now over and you may disconnect your telephones.

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