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Norway's Hydro eyes more powerful outlook after Q1 lags forecast

Norway's Hydro, one of the world's biggest aluminium manufacturers, said on Wednesday it believed markets would enhance later on this year after the group's. core earnings fell more than expected in the very first quarter, hit. by weak need and margins.

Changed profits before interest, tax, depreciation and. amortisation (EBITDA) fell 28% year-on-year to 5.41 billion. crowns ($ 497.8 million), lagging experts' average projection of. 5.54 billion crowns in a company-compiled survey.

Primary aluminium volumes outside China fell 2% year-on-year. in January-March, hit by muted need from property and. commercial building, especially in Europe, which also saw a. decrease in electrical vehicle output, Hydro stated.

Regardless of weaker markets impacting outcomes, the macroeconomic. indicators along with profits drivers are showing indications of. improvement towards year end, outgoing CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim. said in a statement.

Lower inflation, much better potential customers for international economic. growth, robust demand from China, and fresh sanctions on Russian. aluminium were all expected to boost Hydro, she said.

We are possibly ... seeing the peak of the rate of interest,. which is very much influencing the customer sentiment in terms. of purchasing that brand-new automobile or starting that brand-new building, Aasheim. told .

She cautioned, nevertheless, that Germany preparing to stop. subsidies on electric automobiles later this year and European. nations dealing with tighter financial budgets due to the funding of. support for Ukraine ought to be looked at carefully.

Hydro shares were down 0.2% at 0930 GMT, lagging a 0.8%. increase for Oslo's benchmark index. Over the past. year, the stock is down 15%, versus a 10.7% increase for the index.

RUSSIAN ALUMINIUM BAN

Aluminium is trading at around $2,600 per metric heap, near a. 15-month high, after the London Metal Exchange (LME) prohibited from. its system Russian metal produced on or after April 13 to comply. with U.S. and UK sanctions enforced over the war in Ukraine.

Hydro, which had lobbied for such a ban, stated on Wednesday. it was also advising the EU to include Russian aluminium in its. next sanctions bundle expected in May.

The continuing existence of Russian aluminium in Europe was. undermining Europe's aluminium industry, Aasheim said.

50% of European aluminium main capacity was closed down. after the spike (in) power prices, she said. So Europe is at. the point where we need to defend the competitiveness of the. European market.

Aluminium rates have likewise fallen in recent years due to. waning need, after skyrocketing in 2021 and early 2022 to around. $ 3,500 per tonne as the worldwide economy rebounded from the. pandemic.

Aasheim is leaving Hydro by the end of June and will be. changed by Eivind Kallevik, the head of the aluminium metal. service and a previous Hydro finance chief.

Her immediate strategy is to take a long summer season holiday.

To go to the mountains for a week without the phone, that's. what I eagerly anticipate, she said.