Europe Movers: DHL Group, Informa, ITV, JCDecaux, Lufthansa, Schroders, Solvay, Zalando

Inga Muller
06 Mar, 2025
Frankfurt

DHL Group gained 4.2% to €38.77 after the parcel delivery company reported results for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Revenue increased 3% to €84.19 billion from €81.76 billion, net profit declined 9.3% to €3.33 billion from €3.67 billion, and earnings per diluted share dropped 7.6% to €2.81 from €3.04 a year ago.

The company guided for fiscal 2025 operating profit above €6 billion and free cash flow, excluding mergers and acquisitions, of €3 billion.

The company expanded its share buyback program by €2 billion to up to €6 billion and extended until 2026.

Zalando SE surged 4.6% to €34.47 after the fashion and lifestyle products retailer reported strong results for fiscal 2024.

Revenue increased to €10.57 billion from €10.14 billion, net income surged to €251.1 million from €83.0 million, and earnings per basic share rose to 97 cents from 32 cents a year ago.

Gross merchandise volume jumped to €15.30 billion from €14.63 billion a year ago.

During the year, active customers increased to 51.8 million from 49.6 million, and the number of orders climbed to 251.0 million from 244.8 million a year ago.

In the fourth quarter, revenue increased 8% to €3.30 billion from €3.06 billion, active customers increased 4.5% to 51.8 million from 49.6 million, and the number of orders rose 5.8% to 74.5 million from 70.4 million a year earlier.

The company guided for fiscal 2025 gross merchandise volume and revenue growth between 4% and 9% and adjusted EBIT to increase to a level between €530 and €590 million, compared to €511.1 million in 2024.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG surged 7.8% to €7.18 after Germany’s airline reported increased revenue in fiscal 2024.

Revenue jumped to €37.58 billion from €35.44 billion, net profit declined to €1.38 billion from €1.67 billion, and earnings per diluted share dropped to €1.15 from €1.40 a year ago.

The company guided for fiscal 2025 adjusted EBIT to be “significantly higher” than in the previous year, net capital expenditure between €2.7 billion and €3.3 billion, and free cash flow at the previous year’s level.

Schroders Plc. gained 1.05% to 384.20 pence after the UK-based asset management company reported revenue growth in fiscal 2024.

Revenue increased to £2.97 billion from £2.94 billion, profit climbed to £417.0 million from £402.6 million, and earnings per diluted share rose to 26.0 pence from 24.2 pence a year ago.

The company paid dividends of 21.5 pence per share in 2024 for a total of £334.2 million, compared to 21.5 pence per share or £333.0 million a year ago.

Schroders delivered £20 million of annual run-rate savings in the first quarter of 2025 and expects to have a total of £40 million of run-rate cost savings by the end of this year.

The company said it would onboard the recently announced £5.2 billion sustainable equity mandate from St James’s Place in the second quarter.

Solvay dropped 2.8% to €31.16 after the Belgian chemical ingredients provider reported slight sales growth in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2024.

Net sales increased to €1.134 billion from €1.131 billion, profit declined to €101 million from €191 million, and earnings per basic share fell to 96 cents from €1.82 a year ago.

The company guided for fiscal 2025 underlying EBITDA between €1.0 billion and €1.1 billion, compared to €1.05 billion in 2024, and free cash flow of around €300 million, down from €361 million in 2024.

The company said capital expenditure is likely to range between €300 million and €350 million, compared to €355 million in 2024.

Cost savings are expected to reach €200 million by year-end, compared to €110 million at the end of 2024, offsetting both inflation and the costs related to the company’s transition service agreement with Syensqo, a Belgian chemical materials provider.

ITV Plc. surged 4.8% to 72.95 pence after the UK-based video content creator and television network operator reported results for the fiscal year 2024.

Revenue declined 3% to £4.14 billion from £4.26 billion, group adjusted EBITA rose 11% to £542 million from £489 million, and earnings per share rose to 10.4 pence from 5.2 pence a year ago.

In the media and entertainment segment (M&E), advertising revenue grew 2% to £1.82 billion from £1.78 billion a year ago, and total M&E revenue edged up 1% to £2.10 billion from £2.09 billion a year ago.

In the ITV Studios segment, total revenue declined 6% to £2.04 billion from £2.17 billion a year ago.

ITV reported £60 million in non-content cost efficiencies in 2024 and estimated to achieve £30 million of savings in 2025.

JCDecaux SE surged 11.5% to €16.09 after the French advertising company reported increased revenue in fiscal 2024.

Revenue jumped to €3.63 billion from €3.29 billion, net income surged to €258.9 million from €209.2 million, and earnings per diluted share rose to €1.211 from €0.978 a year ago.

The company proposed a cash dividend of 55 cents per share for 2024.

JCDecaux guided for the first quarter of 2025 revenue growth of around 5%.

Informa Plc. dropped 3.4% to 792.40 pence despite the UK-based event management and academic research company reporting revenue growth in fiscal 2024.

Revenue increased 11.4% to £3.55 billion from £3.19 billion, profit before tax declined to £407.3 million from £492.1 million, and earnings per diluted share dropped to 22.2 pence from 29.9 pence a year ago.

The company guided for fiscal 2025 underlying revenue growth of more than 5% and “a double-digit” growth in group revenue and adjusted earnings per diluted share, including reported revenues of £4.1 billion.

In December 2024, Informa divested the historic shipping news brand Lloyd's List as well as Curinos Inc., an analytics and strategy provider.

In addition to the Lloyd’s List, the company also sold the rest of its maritime information operation to private equity firm Montagu, retaining a 20% stake in the business.