Orsero SpA

Orsero SpA

14.50
EUR
+0.06
(+0.42%)
1.46EPS
10.86P/E
262.88MMarket Cap
Nov 12Next Earn

Q3 FY2025 · Earnings Call TranscriptNovember 14, 2025

Operator

Good morning. This is the conference operator.

Welcome, and thank you for joining the Orsero 9 months 2025 financial results web call. All participants are in listen-only mode, and after the presentation, there will be an opportunity for a Q&A session.

At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Mr. Paolo Prudenziati, Chairman of Orsero.

Please go ahead, sir.

Paolo Prudenziati

Hi, good morning everybody. Just a couple of things before I pass the word to Raffaella and Matteo.

I would like to draw your attention to two items. The first is that the good results we have in front of us, for the first time, are driven not only by higher price, but also higher volumes, which is particularly satisfaction to us.

Second, that the overall margin that we can show to the market are pretty much comparable with all global competition, but as we are not at all involved in production, so that makes our things even more satisfactory to us. Now, I pass the word to Raffaella.

Thanks.

Raffaella Orsero

Thank you, Paolo. Good morning everyone, and thank you for joining us.

We are pleased to open by saying that this quarter, once again, met our expectation, showing how solid, stable, and well-grounded our business continues to be. Net revenue grew by 10.5%, driven by the excellent performance of distribution.

We saw higher prices, thanks once again to the product mix we keep working on, but also, as already Paolo said, an increase in volumes, which is a very positive sign. We are convinced that the distribution still has possibilities for organic growth, and we have not expressed our full potential.

Adjusted EBITDA, at €74.6 million, increased by 11.5%, due to the contribution of both business units. Distribution EBITDA improved by 5.9%, compared to the same period last year.

All countries delivered solid results and met our expectation. All products had a good performance, with New Zealand kiwifruit and fresh-cut leading the way.

Shipping also improved, thanks to an excellent loading factor and a very strong performance from dry cargo. Adjusted net profit increased by 19.4%, reaching €32.9 million, and our net financial position stands at €109.1 million.

On the investment side, we have completed the dry docking of the second vessel, and we are moving ahead with the upgrades across all our warehouses. As for our guidance, we confirm it, and we are confident we will reach the upper end of the range in terms of economics margin targeting.

Having this strong foundation, and I conclude, we feel this is the right time to quickly move into a new phase of growth and further international expansion. With that, I hand over to Matteo to discuss our results.

Matteo Colombini

Thank you, Raffaella, and good morning everybody. Thanks for joining.

Our results, as Raffaella and Paolo said, are showing very strong performance. About the market context, we saw for the first time since, let's say, many quarters, an increase in volume, and not only in pricing.

The inflation is counting for 3% on food in general, our mix is driving the growth. The good news about the volume that we're not increasing the volume selling commodities, but the highest-valued product in the fruit and vegetable gamma.

That's really important for us and really coherent with our strategy. Sales are up 10.5%, thanks to the distribution.

The distribution is not only growing on sales, but is growing as well in the right way, thanks to a very good margins. The adjusted EBITDA stands at 5% on distribution, and is comparing with an extraordinary 2024 performance, and is more or less in line, slightly lower, but this is showing a very, very strong and resilient performance of our business.

The shipping is continuing to perform very well, in line with our expectation. The market context is so far stable.

The dry docking of the two last vessels is finished, next year we won't have any additional operating cost driven by the dry docking activity. Loading factor is continuing to be above 95%, and this is one of the most relevant KPI that we can observe.

Going on the bridging of net sales and adjusted EBITDA, as we said, the distribution grew by €115 million. This is the main driver of the growth, thanks to mainly kiwifruit, exotic categories, citrus, berries, and fresh-cut.

Shipping is increasing by €3 million, or 3.4%, thanks to the contribution of the dry cargo, while the loading factor, as we said, registers record levels on both segments. On the EBITDA, as we said, the distribution improved by almost 6% versus last year, thanks to the improvement in terms of product mix driven by strong performance of high-value-added categories, in particular, pineapple, kiwifruit, exotic products, citrus, and fresh-cut.

We must underline that fresh-cut is performing very well, and the category is starting to boom again. Shipping increased by €4.8 million.

The reefer segment, the fruit, let's say, transportation segment, remains stable, with a cost base comparable to last year. What is increasing is loading factor and the dry cargo.

Going to the net profit, actually the adjusted net profit stands at €33 million, mainly driven by the increase of the adjusted EBITDA that counts in for €7.7 million. We don't have main adjustments.

The only adjustments that we have on the EBITDA are comparable with last year, nothing to underline here. On the net equity variance, the net profit is driving the growth with €31.4 million.

Then we have to take into account €8.4 million dividend paid to Orsero shareholder in May, almost €2 million dividend paid to third parties, our partners, negative hedging reserve for €4 million, mainly driven by the US dollar euro exchange rate, and others effects that counts in for not even €1 million. Our net equity passed from €256.4 million to €272.6 million.

In terms of net financial position, the net financial position is quite stable compared to end of 2024. This year was and still is a year where we are investing a lot.

The cash flow is still very positive, coming in for €35 million. We have €7 million change in net working capital.

This is driven by the growth of sales. €17 million of operating capex, and then we have the dividends, €8.4 million, and the mark-to-market the bridge is -€6 million.

Our net financial position, excluding IFRS 16, passed from €55 million to €58 million. Then we have an IFRS 16 effect that comes in with €51.2 million.

Last word on the guidance before leaving the rest of the call for the Q&A session. As Raffaella said, we are keen in obtaining the top end of our KPIs on the margin, adjusted EBITDA and net profit.

We are really happy to be able to have this trust in our performance for the rest of the year. Thank you.

I will leave the rest of the conversation for the Q&A.

Operator

Thank you, sir. We will now begin the question and answer session.

To enter the queue for questions, please click on the Q&A icon on the left side of your screen. When announced, please click continue on the pop-up window.

If you are connected in audio only, please press star and one on your telephone. The first question comes from Gabriele Berti of Intesa Sanpaolo.

Gabriele Berti

Hi, good morning and congratulation on the strong results. At this point, also the upper end of the guidance range appears rather conservative.

However, my first question, I wanted to understand whether the increase in volumes reflects the underlying market trend, or a greater exposure to faster-growing product categories, or an outperformance driven by other specific factors, and if you think this positive environment is sustainable also entering 2026. Second one, could you share some color on your early planning assumption for 2026, in particular across shipping?

Maybe you already have some visibility on time charter contract for next year, and also expectation for banana trading environment. Lastly on capex, could you please provide us an update on the key organic development plans for 2026, in particular, warehouse modernization planning, the Spain project, in general, some indication on next year investment priorities would be helpful.

Matteo Colombini

Thank you, Gabriele. Good morning.

Starting from your first question, volumewise, this year is quite difficult to be very precise, because in our business we don't have a clear data set to be able to answer to your question, but surely, the category as a whole is growing. The consumption trend, the healthy consumption trend is growing, and this is basically very good for everybody in our category.

We surely are exposed to the fastest-growing categories. We're not pushing, as I said, on the pure commodities, where there's no value in increasing that much the market share, because the consumption is flat, you always buy market share, you're not building up anything.

We are growing with avocados, with the exotic gamma, with the berries, with the kiwi, with the table grapes, with the clementines, with the categories where we think and we feel that the growth is there. Surely, the market context this year was not bad.

For next year, is difficult to have a clear picture, but the feeling is that the trend is continuing, or at least we are positioned on the right categories. We have a strong confidence that the growth will be there.

Then, very difficult to say which will be the percentage of growth, because obviously it depends on as well the inflation and the pricing of the whole category, but we are positioned to grow organically. On 2026, shipping and bananas.

On the shipping, we have the feeling that the market is stable, we are not seeing in our niche neither a relevant increase or decrease on the freight rates on the fruit business. On the dry cargo, the situation is flat, but it's a spot market, we have to see that month-by-month next year, but our feeling is that the situation of the market is not under pressure on our niches.

Surely, all over the world, some routes are under pressure or are starting to be under pressure, but we work in a very protected niche, in the good way and in the bad way, we don't see a relevant swing up or down for next year. Banana tender are really starting now.

Banana situation is probably one of the most difficult situation to understand, because the market is short, the production cost is booming, but is very difficult to pass this information to our clients, mainly to the retailer. Still is a product where the tenders are trying to push the price down.

That is why already 4 to 5 years ago we decided not to participate to the tenders where the pricing is not satisfying for us. Hopefully we will have an increase on average on the price, on the tenders, but we cannot be sure because we just started now.

On the spot market, the difference between the price on the tenders and the price on the spot market is very relevant. Our strategy, at the end of the day, is to push more on the spot market, the wholesale channel, to have some satisfaction on this category that is, unfortunately, always under pressure without any last reason.

Capex: capex next year will be a year hopefully dedicated to capex for growth. The maintenance capex will be under control.

As you remember, there's the Spanish project. We're still obtaining all the permission and preparing the land to be able to build.

We think that the building will be starting not next year, but in 2027, but we have other plans for Spain. We will see some capex to grow organically as well even next year.

All in all, we will expand our fresh-cut facilities next year, because as we said, the category is booming and is giving us a very good satisfaction. We will try to keep the maintenance capex and the operative capex really under control to save space for growth capex.

Gabriele Berti

Thank you, Matteo

Matteo Colombini

I answered to your questions.

Gabriele Berti

Yes, thank you.

Operator

The next question is from Andrea Bonfà of Banca Akros. Please go ahead, sir.

Andrea Bonfà

Hello. Good morning to everybody.

Some of my questions have already been answered, but Matteo, if you can remind me and to the audience, what's preventing you in the fourth quarter this year to repeat the profitability of the shipping of last year? Can you remind us what were, let's say, the dry docking issues, but last year you almost delivered €45 million EBITDA pre-IFRS 16 in the last quarter of the year, and I think the business should be back with the same trend of last year at least.

Thank you very much.

Matteo Colombini

Hi, Andrea. Actually, I understand you're trying to understand why we did not increase our guidance at the end of the day.

Actually, we don't see the last quarter as a very strong one like it was last year. This is mainly due not to market condition all in all or consumption, but only driven by the campaign.

Sometimes the campaigns are lasting longer, or sometimes are shorter and very profitable at the beginning. Maybe we will exceed something on our guidance, but it's not that relevant, and we're not so confident that the difference will be that higher to suggest us to increase the top end.

Then, if it's going to be better, it's going to be a good surprise for everybody. The shipping activity, we think that this year the last voyages of the year won't be that high in terms of loading factor.

This is mainly due to a speculation attitude of our suppliers, because given the fact that starting from the first week of 2026 the prices of banana will be increasing by mostly $1 per box, they will try to keep the most of the banana they can on the new contract and not on the old one. To give you a general concept, they will try to short the market with the actual prices, and then to load the market when the prices will be higher, and we already know that the prices will be increasing next year on bananas in dollar base I'm talking.

Taking in consideration all the information that we have so far, we think that the last quarter will be okay, but not so brilliant like it was last year, mainly driven by bananas, what I told to you, and then the loading factor. Then obviously, there are many different categories that we can drill down in detail, the lychees, for example.

The market would be overloaded with additional volumes compared to last year. When we look at our product mix of the last quarter, we are not that confident to be able to massively beat our high end.

That's a bit the consideration that I can give you.

Andrea Bonfà

Thank you very much, very useful. If I may, can you share with us any information on your M&A campaign, if it's possible?

Thanks.

Matteo Colombini

We would like to be able to tell you more, but it's not already the moment. We are working hard, and we're doing our job, let's say, but we're not ready to be able to disclose additional details.

Andrea Bonfà

Thank you.

Operator

The next question, sir, is from Mathias Paladino of TP ICAP.

Mathias Paladino

Hello, thank you. Thank you very much for the presentation.

Congratulations for the results. Most of my questions have been already answered, but one of them, I want to get your view, maybe to share your view on one point to the audience, is about we saw last month there was a delay on the vote on the cutting maritime emission by the IMO.

In this trend, let's say, you're backed in some way because US are opposed to this cutting maritime emission. I wanted to get your view, maybe can we say that this delay in the vote can give you more flexibility also to run your business with the current vessel?

Yes, maybe what's your view on the situation on this cutting maritime emission of this association? Thank you very much.

Matteo Colombini

Good morning. Hi.

Thank you for answering this question and for the consideration. We are not the player that is able to give you a very, let's say, deep answer to your question, but we will try.

Our perception in general is that this delay on the IMO decision is really coherent with the impossibility of the industrial footprint and distribution, both on the, let's say, new engine, new technologies, and mostly the new fuels, let's say, that are not there. The industrial footprint end-to-end is not ready and is not coherent with the political vision.

This is, I think, a reality so far. The target that the IMO was dreaming to have is not there and cannot be there.

Probably the reason why they delayed the votation is because the agreement proposed is not possible to be, let's say, agreed upon. There will be 1 year to rediscuss.

I don't know, actually, if they will change massively the way and the trend, but what we can say is that in our segment, in our, let's say, tonnage, as a player, basically there's no order book or relevant ships now with different engine and fuel than oil and carbon-based engines. At the end of the day, we think that the wave is something that is positive, obviously, but must be paired with the reality, with the technology, and with the industrial footprint, otherwise it's going to remain a dream and it's going to damage a lot the economy, both in Europe and worldwide.

Given the fact that IMO is not representing the European Union, but is representing, let's say, the worldwide shipping activity, now is blocked and we will see what will be the evolution of the new agreement, if there will be a new agreement. For us, is a good news, formally speaking, but it's since a couple of years that we have this vision that at least this situation would be slowed down compared to the communication that we had.

We will see if we will be able, thanks to this new situation, to operate our vessels longer. We have time to see and decide, but surely, let's say, it's not a bad news for us.

Being practical is not a bad news.

Mathias Paladino

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Operator

As a reminder, if you wish to ask a question, please click on the Q&A icon on the left side of your screen, or press star and one on your touch-tone telephone. For any further questions, please click on the Q&A icon on the left side of your screen, or star and one on your telephone.

Mr. Colombini, at this time, sir, there are no questions registered.

Matteo Colombini

Okay. Thank you very much.

Thank you everybody for joining again, and we will talk soon early next year for the full-year results. All the best.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining. The conference is now over, and you may disconnect your devices.