PRESS RELEASE

EDISON CLOSES THE 9 MONTHS WITH REVENUES AT 7.2 BILLION EUROS AND EBITDA SHOWING STRONG GROWTH AT 647 MILLION EUROS.

Edison raises the EBITDA forecast for 2017 to approximately 750 million euros.

Net result of -110 million euros (-107 million euros in the 9 months of 2016) affected by the volatility connected with hedging. Debt improves further at 622 million euros from the 1,062 million euros as at December 31, 2016.

Milan, October 26, 2017 - Edison's Board of Directors, meeting today, examined the Quarterly Report at September 30, 2017 and raised EBITDA forecasts for the whole 2017 to approximately 750 million euros, in light of the excellent performance recorded during the first nine months of the year. During the period, all business areas, in particular thermoelectric generation and E&P, recorded a significant increase in margins, benefiting from the increase in demand and prices of electricity, gas and oil. The achievement of this result was also partly due to the change in scope of consolidation of the business dedicated to energy and environmental services, which includes the results of Fenice1 and the additional cost saving measures implemented by the Group. The 110 million euros loss (-107 million euros in the same period last year) is affected by the temporary effect of the volatility of commodities and currency hedges.

EDISON GROUP HIGHLIGHTS

in millions of euros

9 months 2017

9 months 2016

Sales revenues

7,215

7,974

EBITDA

647

489

EBIT

84

(10)

Group interest in net loss

(110)

(107)

  1. Fenice has been consolidated since April 1, 2016.

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    Operating performance of the Group at September 30, 2017

    During the first nine months of 2017, a significant recovery in both demand and prices of electricity, gas and oil was seen, as compared with the same period of last year. The reduced availability of electricity from abroad and the difference in seasonal average temperatures - at the start of the year and during the summer - that affected consumptions, determined an increase in prices.

    More specifically, during the first 9 months of the year, the Italian electricity demand rose by 1.8% compared to the same period of last year, coming in at 239.6 TWh. The greater demand, coupled with the decline in net imports (to 28.2 TWh, -10.6% compared to the first nine months of last year) was mainly satisfied by thermoelectric generation (+7.7% to 144.9 TWh) and partly by renewable wind and solar sources (+3.3% to 37.4 TWh). Hydroelectric production went instead down (to 30.8 TWh, -11.7% compared to the first nine months of 2016), suffering the poor water availability in the period. In terms of prices, during the first nine months of the year, the Single National Price (abbreviated as PUN in Italian) rose by 34% to 51.3 euros per MWh from the 38.3 euros per MWh of the same period in 2016, as a consequence of the greater demand for electricity and higher production costs.

    During the first 9 months of the year, gas consumption rose by 8.2% to 51.9 billion cubic meters as compared with the same period of 2016, thereby recording an increase (+3.9 billion cubic meters), which was entirely covered by the greater gas imports (+4.1 billion cubic meters on the same period of 2016). The demand was driven above all by the thermoelectric (+13.9% to 18.5 billion cubic meters of gas) and industrial (+7.9% to 13.2 billion cubic meters of gas) sectors. On the price side, the spot gas in Italy came in at 19.9 cents per cubic meter, showing a rise of 29.3% compared to the same period of last year.

    The trend of oil prices was also positive, recording in the first nine months of the year an average value of 52.6 dollars per barrel as compared with the 43 dollars per barrel in the same period of 2016. This increase was due to expectations for an extension of the agreements reached by the OPEC countries and another 10 producer countries on the production limits and to expectations for a rise in demand.

    In this context, Edison closed the first nine months of the year with sales revenues of 7,215 million euros, as compared with 7,974 million euros in the same period of 2016. This decline was mainly caused by the reduction in income2 from derivative contracts covering gas, which mainly affected Hydrocarbons operations. Revenues in this business sector came in at 3,935 million euros, recording a decline of 9.8% on the same period of 2016. Revenues from Electric Power operations in the first nine months of the year went also down to 3,861 million euros (-5% on the 4,063 million euros of the same period of 2016), due to the lesser volumes sold and despite the positive contribution made by Fenice.

    The EBITDA recorded strong growth, coming in at 647 million euros, up 32.3% on the 489 million euros of the first nine months of 2016 thanks to the good performance of all business areas and the additional cost saving measures implemented by the Group. More specifically, the Adjusted EBITDA3 of Electric Power

  2. To the reduction in income from derivative contracts corresponds a similar reduction in the relative cost item. These contracts are developed to manage the risk of a fluctuation in the cost of natural gas and relative sale price.

  3. Adjusted EBITDA reflect the effect of the reclassification from the Hydrocarbons Operations to the Electric Power Operations of the portion of the results of commodity and foreign exchange hedges executed in connection with contracts to import natural gas attributable to the Electric Power

    operations has increased considerably, rising to 232 million euros (+27.5% on the 182 million euros of the first nine months of 2016), mainly benefiting from the greater margins recorded in thermoelectric generation and the contribution made by Fenice, which this year contributes to EBITDA for the entire period. These positive components more than offset the lesser contribution made to margins by hydroelectric production and the absence of the non-recurring positive item recorded in 2016 in connection with the exchange of Edison's equity investments in Hydros and SelEdison with that of Alperia in Cellina Energy. The Adjusted EBITDA3 of the Hydrocarbons operations has also recorded strong growth, coming in at 480 million euros (+30.8% on the 367 million euros of the first nine months of 2016), thanks to the recovery of the pricing scenario, which has resulted in greater profitability both for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons and for the gas purchase and sale activities.

    EBIT increased to 84 million euros, as compared with the negative result for 10 million euros in the first nine months of the last year, thanks to the excellent operating performance. The result was affected by the change in fair value of commodities and exchange rates derivatives4, which was negative for 196 million euros (-133 million euros in the same period of 2016). This change was mainly linked to the realization of hedging derivatives that, as a result of economic hedging strategies to protect margins and of the significant commodities prices fluctuations, determined in past years, starting from 2014, a positive Fair Value that is necessarily reversed in the profit and loss accounts of the following years, with a negligible economic effect in the total period.

    The cost of debt, which last year recorded non-recurring expenses, improved while the disposals reported in recent months had a net negative impact of 48 million euros on the first nine months of the year (Terminale GNL Adriatico, Infrastrutture Trasporto Gas and the European Oncology Institute). Tax expense was 94 million euros (21 million euros in the nine months of 2016), affected by the impact of foreign taxes and the negative effect of the above mentioned disposals.

    Edison Group closed the first nine months of the year with a net loss of 110 million euros (-107 million euros in the same period of 2016) which was mainly affected by the temporary effect of the volatility of commodities and currency hedges. Net financial debt as at September 30, 2017 was 622 million euros, showing further improvement on the 1,062 million euros recorded at end 2016, as a result of the positive management of industrial operations and the improvement of working capital. Debt falling due within the next 18 months includes the bonds issued in 2010 and maturing in November 2017, for a total nominal amount of 600 million euros. Edison will repay the bonds utilizing cash in hand and available credit lines.

    Outlook

    Operations. This reclassification is been made to provide a consistent operational presentation of industrial results. Adjusted EBITDA include central staff and technical services.

  4. This measures the difference in fair value of the financial instruments calculated as the difference between the prospective fair value at the closure of each financial statements and that at the closure of the financial statements of the previous year. The result realized on derivatives is recorded in EBITDA.

Edison raises the EBITDA forecast for 2017 to approximately 750 million euros.

Main events of the first 9 months of 2017

March 1, 2017 - Edison entered the urban biomass district heating sector, acquiring 51% of Comat Energia, the Comat Group company operating in the woody biomass heating and district heating sector through more than 100 thermal plants in more than 50 mountain communities across Piedmont. The transaction is part of Edison's strategy to develop the energy and environmental services sector with the target to become a market leader in Italy in this business too, offering integrated services to all segments, from industry to the tertiary sector and public administration. March 2, 2017 - Edison strengthened the offer of innovative services for customers by purchasing 51% of Assistenza Casa, the Italian company of the international HomeServe Group, which retained the remaining 49% of the capital. With Assistenza Casa, Edison confirmed its capacity to innovate, flanking competitive offers of electricity and gas with a complete range of maintenance, installation and assistance services for household plants and smart homes. Assistenza Casa, established in 2010, numbers more than 50 employees, boasting a network of around 1,400 artisans across Italy and approximately 300 thousand customers. March 2, 2017 - Edison sold its 51% stake in Gever, the company owning the thermoelectric plant supplying the Burgo paper-mill, to Burgo, which already held 49%. April 2017 - Edison was granted two revolving credit facilities maturing in two years, to cover its financial needs and ensure the necessary financial flexibility. The first facility, with EDF Sa and for 600 million euros, effectively renews another identical one that had reached maturity; the second, which serves purely as a back- up, was subscribed by a small number of banks and amounts to 300 million euros. June 2, 2017 - Gazprom, DEPA and Edison stipulated a cooperation agreement at the International Forum of St Petersburg. The agreement envisages joint efforts with a view to opening up a southern route for the supply of Russian gas from Russia to Europe, which will cross through Turkey and Greece before reaching Italy. The three companies will coordinate the development and implementation of the projects for the gas pipe TurkStream and Poseidon from the Turkish and Greek border to Italy, in complete compliance with the reference legislative framework. Moreover, the agreement formalises the methods to expand the collaboration in Russian gas supplies. June 28, 2017 - Edison inaugurated a new hydroelectric plant in Pizzighettone (CR), on the Adda River, confirming its view that the development of renewables is key to the company's growth. The plant, a 4.3 MW mini hydro run-of-river plant, is fully integrated into the territory of the Adda South Park. The plant can produce an average of 18 million KWh per year. July 17, 26 and 27, 2017 - Edison signed a series of binding agreements for the purchase of a 50.078% stake in Frendy Energy S.p.A. (Frendy), a company with shares traded on the AIM- Alternative Investments Market

- of Italy, which owns 15 mini-hydro plants (of which 3 at an advanced stage of construction), mainly situated on the irrigation channels of Piedmont and Lombardy for a total annual production of approximately 20 GWh, at 0.340 euros per share.

Edison S.p.A. published this content on 26 October 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 26 October 2017 17:05:04 UTC.

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