In Spain

grifols blood bags

With 65% of debt at a fixed rate and maturities in 2025, Grifols’ gearing could drop to 4.9x in 2023, 3.8x in 2024

Morgan Stanley | After a series of acquisitions Grifols’ debt has increased to 10 billion euros (7xND/Ebitda). That said, with 65% of debt at a fixed rate and maturities in 2025, we expect gearing to drop to 4.9x in 2023 and 3.8x in 2024 (thanks to a recovery in profits). However, in the short term, with limited ways to reduce gearing, this is going to put pressure on the stock….


Merlin Properties

Merlin Properties CEO flags it will grab opportunities amid unfavourable climate

Link Securities | Merlin Properties CEO, Ismael Clemente, highlighted in an interview with the daily Expansión that they are focused on managing and growing the company. He said they will take advantage of the opportunities which present themselves amid the possible unfavourable economic situation. This is what they did in 2014 (aquisition of the portfolio of BBVA branches), in 2015 (buy of Testa) and in 2016 (merger with Metrovacesa). The…


Cellnex

Cellnex could be interested in a stake in Vantage Towers

Renta 4 |Vodafone could be waiting to receive offers for its stake in Vantage Tower in which it controls 81%, according to Reuters. Vantage manages 83,000 towers in 10 countries and currently has a market cap of 12.5 billion euros. According to the press, Cellnex and American Tower would be weighing up the idea of presenting an offer for the above-mentioned stake. Valuation: In acquisition transactions of this kind, Cellnex…


CGPJ

The President Of The Judges Resigns And Forces Sánchez And Feijoó To Move On

The president of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) and the Supreme Court (SC), Carlos Lesmes, announced on Sunday that he will formalise his resignation tomorrow. This is a month after he threatened to leave if there was no tangible progress in renewing a CGPJ that has been out of date for almost four years. He thus fulfils his promise, but without having managed to get the Council to…


aena airport

State Budgets assume NAP of €650 M in 2023 for Aena

Bankinter | The State budgets include estimates for the results of the big state-owned companies. One of them is Aena, for which the NAP forecast is for 380 million euros in 2022 and 650 million in 2023. Bankinter analyst team’s opinion: Bad news. The estimates for 2023 are below our own for NAP of 787 million euros. It’s probably a conservative figure, but once again it shows the company’s vulnerability…


Spanish banks

BBVA and Caixabank could have the best momentum in terms of profits: Overweight

Morgan Stanley | We are expecting a positive surprise in NII (+3.6% QoQ), which will allow for upgrades in consensus estimates for 2023. Meanwhile, in terms of provisions we are expecting stable figures. We see the best momentum in terms of profits for BBVA and Caixabank (both Overweight) and there could be a catch up in Banco Santander, as the political uncertainty lessens. Santander – Good numbers in Spain. The…


Just Sanchez

Sánchez, Setting An Example: 4% Pay Rise, Compared To 3.5% For Civil Servants

The coalition government led by Pedro Sánchez has decided to implement a 4% pay rise for next year, above the 3.5% planned for civil servants and MPs. With this, Prime Minister Sánchez’s annual salary will be 90,010.20 euros a year, which means a monthly salary of 7,500 euros. The Ministry of Finance agreed with unions Comisiones Obreras and UGT a salary increase for civil servants of up to 3.5% in…


Enagas

Enagás signs cooperation agreement with AlbGaz, Albania’s gas transport system operator

Link Securities | Enagás has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with AlbGaz, involving its potential entrance as a stake holder in the operator of Albania’s gas transport system. The two entitities will also study joint projects within the Albanian and European regulatory frameworks, and in line with the Albanian government’s directives, according to Europa Press. The agreement has been signed in Tirana (Albania) by Enagás’ CEO Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri and…


Spain housing

Property prices…collateral damage: declines of 3% in 2023e and 2% in 2024e

Bankinter | Still nobody, or almost nobody, is talking about the consequences for the property sector of the new context we are facing. But it would be a good idea to do start doing just that. After a 2022 where housing prices are still going up (an estimated +5%), there should be a phase of adjustment. We are forecasting falls of 3% in 2023e and 2% in 2024e (vs +1%…


Aena

Aena to put its duty-free shops out to tender

Intermoney | Aena (Hold, Target Price 140 euros/share) plans soon to put the management of its duty free shops out to tender, the daily Cinco Dias reports. This tender is considered to be the largest of these characteristics in the airports industry, with 85 sale points and a global area of 55.000 m2, including Spain’s main airports. Aena’s current main tenant is Dufry, with whom the airports’ operator has been involved,…