LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s largest utility EDP posted on Thursday a stronger-than-expected 14% rise in nine-month net consolidated profit, benefiting from strong rainfall in Iberia and additional earnings from its Brazilian unit after a full takeover.
EDP pocketed a net 1.08 billion euros ($1.17 billion), beating the average analysts’ forecast of 993 million euros in an LSEG poll, despite smaller capital gains.
Profit reported on Wednesday by its subsidiary EDP Renovaveis, the world’s fourth-largest wind energy producer, fell 53% to 210 million euros.
EDP said it booked 179 million euros in consolidated capital gains from the sale of stakes in wind and solar projects and an electricity transmission line. That compares with capital gains of 393 million euros the previous year.
Total electricity generation increased 4% to 41,862 gigawatt-hours (GWh), 97% of which was renewable. It was supported by a 65% jump in hydroelectric production in Iberia to 9,306 GWh as heavy rain in Iberia offset the 42% decrease of electricity spot price in Spain, it said.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 2% in the nine months from a year ago to around 3.9 billion euros, compared to 3.7 billion euros expected by analysts.
($1 = 0.9260 euros)
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip)
