AQUILA, 29% increase in net profit, supported by the distribution business segment
AQUILA (symbol AQ), the market leader in the field of integrated distribution and logistics services for consumer goods, in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, ended the first half of 2023 with increased revenues and net profit, in line with the communicated strategy.
AQUILA’s revenues exceeded RON 1.1 billion in the first half of 2023, an increase of approximately 17% compared to the same period in 2022, driven mainly by the advance of the revenues from the distribution segment, which constitutes over 90% of the company’s total turnover. The company’s net profit reached RON 42 million, an increase of 29%.
Cătălin Vasile, CEO of AQUILA:
„We have achieved strong performances in all three business segments. The traditional and HoReCa sectors were the distribution channels with a higher growth pace. We continued to develop our own brands, focusing on marketing and distribution. With new partnerships, the number of points of sale through which the company sells products across all channels has reached 72,000. Operational excellence through efficiency, with digitalization component and sustainability, are AQUILA’s priorities.”
In the first half of 2023, within the revenue structure, all three business segments recorded growth, 17% in the distribution segment, 27% in the logistics segment, and 1% in the transportation segment, compared to the same period in 2022. The revenues from our own brands advanced by 38%, reaching RON 39 million.
The gross margin remained steady, at approximately 22%. EBITDA recorded a 17% increase, reaching RON 70 million.
AQUILA made investments totaling EUR 4.1 million in the first half of the year for transportation means, IT equipment, and warehouse facilities, in accordance with the investment plan approved by the General Shareholders’ Meeting in April.
The full report containing results for the first semester can be found here.
About AQUILA
AQUILA operates in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, with an integrated business model, with activity in the following business segments: distribution, logistics, and transport. AQUILA sells consumer goods in over 72,000 points of sale across all FMCG retail channels, covering over 90% of the market. The integrated product portfolio totals over 10,000 products, well-known brands from different categories such as: personal care products – Rexona, Dove; sweets – Kinder, Raffaello, Snickers or Mars; coffee – Lavazza; cleaning products – Dero, Cif or Coccolino; pet food – Whiskas, Pedigree; hygiene products – Kleenex, Kotex, Zewa, Tena, Libresse; baby diapers – Huggies; frozen vegetables and canned food – Bonduelle; vegetable sour cream and vegetable whipped cream – Gran Cucina and Hulala; fish and fish products – Frosta.
The company was founded in 1994 by the entrepreneurs Alin Adrian Dociu and Constantin Cătălin Vasile. Since November 2021 is listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), following an initial public offering worth 367 million lei, the largest initial public offering carried out by an entrepreneurial company on the local capital market. The company’s shares (symbol AQ) are included in the Bucharest Stock Exchange reference index– BET and in the Global Micro Cap index of FTSE Russell. Starting from September 1, 2023, the company’s shares will be also included in the MSCI Frontier IMI and MSCI Romania IMI indices.
The company obtained the maximum score, 10, in the VEKTOR evaluation carried out by the Romanian Investor Relations Association – ARIR, based on 12 criteria regarding corporate governance and communication with investors.