Key Takeaways
- ENGIE (ENGIY) reported a strong start to 2025, with Q1 EBIT excluding nuclear reaching €3.7 billion, an organic increase of 2.1%, and confirmed its full-year 2025 net recurring income guidance of €4.4-5.0 billion.
- France is dispatching four flights carrying a total of 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Jordan, beginning Friday, August 1, 2025, in response to escalating famine concerns.
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot criticized the U.S. and Israel-backed aid distribution system in Gaza, calling it a "bloodbath" and "shameful," while emphasizing the critical need for increased land access for aid delivery.
ENGIE Demonstrates Robust Performance in Early 2025
Global energy and services group ENGIE (ENGIY) has announced solid financial performance for the first half of 2025, building on a strong first quarter. The company's EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) excluding nuclear operations reached €3.7 billion in Q1 2025, marking an organic increase of 2.1%. This growth was primarily driven by its Infrastructures segment and favorable timing effects.
ENGIE also reported a Cash Flow From Operations of €4.0 billion in Q1 2025, while maintaining a robust balance sheet with an economic net debt/EBITDA ratio reduced to 3.0x. The company's economic net debt decreased by €1.8 billion. ENGIE has reaffirmed its full-year 2025 guidance, projecting a net recurring income group share (NRIgs) in the range of €4.4-5.0 billion.
Operationally, ENGIE has shown significant activity in renewables and battery energy storage systems (BESS), with 8.5 GW under construction across more than 100 projects by the end of March 2025. Key business highlights include the acquisition of two hydropower plants in Brazil (612 MW) and a portfolio of renewable assets in the United Kingdom (157 MW). The company also secured a new electric substation award in Chile and finalized a nuclear transaction in Belgium.
France Steps Up Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Amid Dire Conditions
In a critical move to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France would dispatch four flights, each carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid, from Jordan to Gaza starting Friday, August 1, 2025. This initiative will deliver a total of 40 tonnes of essential supplies to the besieged Palestinian territory.
Minister Barrot underscored the severity of the situation, describing it as "revolting" and emphasizing that while air drops are useful, they are "not sufficient" to meet the immense needs of the population. He highlighted that 52 tonnes of French humanitarian freight remain blocked in El-Arish, Egypt, just 50 kilometers from the Gaza border, stressing the urgent need for Israeli authorities to reopen land access.
Barrot also voiced strong condemnation of the U.S. and Israel-backed aid distribution system operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), stating it has "generated a bloodbath in distribution lines in Gaza" and is a "scandal" that "has to stop." The UN estimates that over 1,000 people seeking food have been killed near militarized GHF distribution sites since May. This French initiative follows similar air-drop efforts by Britain and Germany, as international concern mounts over the unfolding famine scenario in Gaza.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.