Aspo Plc’s Financial Statements Release, January 1 – December 31, 2025: A year with significant profit improvement in a challenging market

Core Insights - Aspo Plc reported significant profit improvement in 2025 despite challenging market conditions, with a notable increase in comparable EBITA and net sales [1][12] Financial Performance - For the full year 2025, net sales increased to EUR 616.3 million from EUR 592.6 million, representing a growth of 4.0% [20] - Comparable EBITA for the year grew to EUR 36.5 million, up from EUR 29.1 million, with a margin of 5.9% compared to 4.9% in 2024 [20] - The Group's total EBITA was EUR 43.1 million, significantly higher than EUR 21.2 million in 2024 [20] - Free cash flow improved to EUR 26.5 million from a negative EUR 36.1 million in the previous year [20] Segment Performance - ESL Shipping's comparable EBITA was EUR 16.5 million, slightly down from EUR 16.9 million, impacted by weak market conditions [20][13] - Telko's comparable EBITA increased to EUR 17.9 million from EUR 12.6 million, driven by higher sales margins [20][14] - Discontinued operations, including Leipurin, reported a comparable EBITA of EUR 2.0 million, up from EUR 1.1 million [20][16] Strategic Developments - Aspo announced a strategic evaluation, considering divestment of ESL Shipping or a partial demerger [4][18] - The divestment of Leipurin was agreed upon with an enterprise value of EUR 63 million, expected to be completed in Q1 2026 [10][15] - The International Science Based Targets initiative approved Aspo's emissions reduction targets, focusing on fleet investments and renewable fuels [17] Guidance for 2026 - The company expects comparable EBITA from continuing operations to increase compared to EUR 29.4 million in 2025 [6] - Economic growth is anticipated to slowly revive, although challenges remain in the early part of the year due to geopolitical uncertainties [7] - ESL Shipping is expected to see slight demand improvement, while Telko aims for growth through acquisitions [8]