Aspo Plc’s Interim Report, January 1 – September 30, 2025: Steps taken towards Aspo’s strategic vision

Core Insights - Aspo Plc's interim report for January 1 – September 30, 2025, indicates a strategic focus on profitability improvement and divestment activities to enhance financial performance [1] Financial Performance - Net sales for the group decreased to EUR 144.3 million in Q3 2025 from EUR 146.6 million in Q3 2024, while net sales from continuing operations decreased to EUR 108.1 million from EUR 113.7 million [5] - Comparable EBITA for the group increased to EUR 9.6 million in Q3 2025, representing 6.6% of net sales, compared to EUR 8.7 million and 5.9% in Q3 2024 [5][13] - For the first nine months of 2025, net sales grew by 5.9% to EUR 458.3 million, with comparable EBITA reaching EUR 27.5 million, up from EUR 21.1 million in the same period of 2024 [18][22] Business Segments - ESL Shipping reported a slight decline in comparable EBITA to EUR 3.5 million due to weak market conditions, particularly in the Coaster vessel segment [15] - Telko's comparable EBITA improved to EUR 4.8 million, driven by higher sales margins and the absence of acquisition-related expenses [16] - Leipurin's comparable EBITA for discontinued operations was EUR 1.9 million, with strong organic growth noted, particularly in Sweden [17] Strategic Actions - Aspo announced the divestment of its Leipurin business to Lantmännen for an enterprise value of EUR 63 million, expected to generate a gain of approximately EUR 16 million [20] - The divestment is part of Aspo's strategy to create two separate companies, Aspo Infra and Aspo Compounder, aimed at enhancing shareholder value [19] Guidance and Market Outlook - The company expects comparable EBITA for 2025 to be in the range of EUR 35–45 million, reflecting ongoing profitability improvement initiatives [6] - The operating environment is anticipated to remain challenging due to geopolitical uncertainties and global trade tensions, although increased defense and infrastructure spending in Europe may support recovery [7] Key Financial Ratios - Comparable return on equity (ROE) for the group was 13.4% for the first nine months of 2025, compared to 7.8% in the same period of 2024 [22] - The net debt to comparable EBITDA ratio increased to 3.9, attributed to hybrid bond repayments and investments in Green Coaster vessels [21]