Release Date: April 23, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV (ASR, Financial) reported a 14% year-on-year increase in total revenues, reaching MXN8.2 billion, driven by solid growth across all operations.
- Puerto Rico and Colombia showed strong performance, with Puerto Rico maintaining a positive trend of nearly 11% in passenger traffic and Colombia experiencing a 6% rise.
- Commercial revenues grew in the high single digits, with Puerto Rico posting a 23% increase and Colombia delivering a 38% year-over-year growth.
- The company opened 40 new commercial spaces over the last 12 months, enhancing its commercial offerings and revenue potential.
- ASR's balance sheet remains strong with nearly MXN23 billion in cash and cash equivalents, up 35% year on year, and a net debt to EBITDA ratio of negative 0.5 times.
Negative Points
- Passenger traffic in Mexico declined nearly 5% during the quarter, impacted by the Easter shift and competition from the new Tulum airport.
- Cancun, ASR's largest airport, continued to experience year-on-year declines in traffic from almost all regions, including a 10.5% decrease from the US.
- Total expenses increased by 18% year on year, driven by higher concession fees, administrative costs, and a 12% increase in minimum wages in Mexico.
- The adjusted EBITDA margin decreased slightly to 70% from 71.4% a year ago, attributed to higher operating costs.
- The company anticipates increased costs as new infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of Terminal 1 in Cancun, become operational.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Can you elaborate on the strong commercial revenue performance during the quarter and its outlook, considering the Mexican peso depreciation?
A: Adolfo Castro Rivas, CEO, explained that the strong commercial revenue was significantly influenced by the positive exchange rate effects in Puerto Rico and Colombia. The depreciation of the Mexican peso against the dollar played a crucial role. In Mexico, the good quarter was attributed to passenger needs and some impact from the peso-dollar exchange rate.
Q: Regarding your CapEx, especially in Cancun, when do you expect to see an impact on operating expenses and margins due to these investments?
A: The CEO noted that the remodeling and expansion of Terminal 1 in Cancun should be completed by the third quarter of next year, which will lead to increased costs for maintaining and securing new areas. Terminal 4 is expected to be completed by the end of 2028, which will also impact costs.
Q: With CCR selling their airport assets in Brazil, do you have any interest in these assets, or does the dividend indicate a different capital allocation strategy?
A: The CEO confirmed that they are analyzing the CCR project carefully. The proposed dividends almost match the company's cash and cash equivalents, indicating that any potential acquisition would be funded by existing resources.
Q: Are you seeing any weakness from airlines reducing frequencies due to trade tensions and macro uncertainties, particularly from US airlines?
A: The CEO stated that it is too early to tell if there is any impact from these factors. However, the traffic in Cancun is affected by the new Tulum airport, which is expected to handle 2.9 million passengers this year, impacting Cancun's numbers.
Q: Can you provide more details on the expected traffic impact from the lifting of Mexico City airport restrictions and the Tulum airport's passenger projections?
A: The CEO expects the government to lift the capacity restrictions at Mexico City airport by the end of the third quarter, which should positively impact traffic. The Tulum airport is expected to handle 2.9 million passengers this year, aligning with initial projections.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
