Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte Sociedad Anónima ($EDN)

Good morning, and welcome. This is Ucilaamacio, Investor Relations Deputy Manager at Edenor. On behalf of Edenor, we would like to thank everybody for participating in this conference call to discuss the results of the first quarter 2026. We also have an important recent development and advances in our effort to strengthen our position as an energy leader. If you would like to receive our earnings release or presentation, you can download them easily from the Investor Relations section of our website located at www.edenor.com or contact our Investor Relations team to request the comment. This event is being recorded. After the company remarks are completed, there will be a question-and-answer section for which you may submit questions through the webcast chat. Before proceeding, let me mention that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of Edenor management and on the information currently available to the company. They involve risks and uncertainties and assumptions because they're related to the future events and therefore, depends on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Investors should understand that general economic conditions, industry conditions and other operating factors could also affect the future results of Edenor and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Now let me pass the call to German Ralf, our CFO, who will guide us through the presentation.

Thank you, Cecilia. Good morning, and welcome to everyone. Your presence here is very important to us, and we hope to provide you with a good understanding of Edenor performance during the first quarter of 2026 agenda, highlights and regulatory framework. Before moving to a discussion of details of our financial performance during the first quarter of 2026, I would like to take a few minutes to highlight that Edenor has demonstrated a major improvement in results over the last several years, led by a restoration of healthy regulatory environment and a substantial improvement in economic situation in Argentina. These factors, combined with our focus on continuous operational improvements and modernization have positioned the company well to take advantage of a highly attractive growth opportunity in Argentina. We have now completed our full year since the approval of the implementation of the 5-year tariff, including monthly automatic adjustments. By the end of April of 2025, the 5-year tariff review process for 2025 and 2030 period was approved, which included an automatic adjustment based on a formula for the value-added distribution weighted 33% by a consumer price index and 67% by the wholesale price index, plus an additional of 0.42% above inflation in real terms. On May 21, 2025, we normalized our debt with CAMESA. We are, since April 2024, paying 100% of the current monthly invoices for energy purchases from CAMESA and are fully complying with payments under our existing payment plan with CAMESA that call for monthly payments over 64 and 62 remaining installments. In October 2025, Edenor submitted the regulatory asset claim for differences in tariff adjustments between 2019 and 2023 as calculated by independent third parties. The Secretary of Energy has been analyzing the company's complaints. In May 2026, a new law is being discussed in Congress regarding the specific claim. During 2025, the VAT increased a total of 37% against a 32% rise in the consumer price index and a 41% devaluation of the peso against the U.S. dollar. The average monthly tariff adjustment since August of 2024 through year 2025 was 3.1%. In December of 2025, the regulatory entity authorized the company to modify the frequency of media readings from bimonthly to monthly. The regulation aims to provide users with a clearer and more transparent and more time line signal regarding their energy consumption. The impact was reflected in the first quarter of 2026. The accumulative monthly adjustment VAT of 9% versus an inflation rate of 9% is the first quarter 2026 numbers. In April, the VAT adjusted was 2.04% and in May, 4.1%, including the E factor. In addition, as we mentioned above, the government also submitted a bill to the Argentine Congress proposing a framework to regularize our regulatory asset for past differences tariffs of 2019 to 2023. We believe that this event has positioned the company to be more dynamic with more favorable financial results going forward. This will enable us to continue our strong investment program and further improve our services. In May 2026, the government appointed the new authorities for the new gas and electricity regulatory agency, each of whom has strong background and broad experience in the energy field. The normalization of tariff has been clearly reflected in improvement in Edenor's financial performance with 127% raise in EBITDA for the first 3 months of 2026. The collectivity rate has consistently remained high, being 95.68% in the first quarter of this year. Financial results, revenues. Revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were ARS 847 billion, which was flat in real terms versus the prior year. which was due to benefits of higher tariffs and subsidies reduction, offset by a slight decline in volume and a lower energy purchase cost, which are direct pass-through to consumers. The quarter reflects the positive impact of the monthly measuring of energy consumption. Energy sales evolution. North total customers in the quarter rose to 3.4 million, up 1.4% versus the prior year. This raise was mainly due to an increase in residential and medium-sized commercial clients. The raise was helped by market disciplinary measures, including the installation of 2,765 energy meters in the first quarter of 2026, which are designated to convert informal and reported connections into a fully transparent connections in electricity distribution system. Energy sales for the first quarter were down 1.6% year-to-year to 5,853 gigawatts, mainly driven by the impact of lower demand from the residential customers due to lower temperatures during the summer and for the effect of the economic and industrial demand. Distribution margin. For the first quarter of 2026, our distribution margin rose 13% to ARS 387 billion, mainly due to the increase in tariffs, which have average of 3% per month, as we said before. EBITDA. Looking at EBITDA for the first quarter of 2026, EBITDA rose 127% to ARS 191 billion, an improvement from the ARS 84 billion registered in the first quarter of 2026. The main improvement was due to a strong revenue as a result of the 5-year tariff review, including a 320% increase initially adjusted in February of 2024, plus additional monthly tariff adjustments since then in an average of 3%. The accumulated VAT increase in 2026 was 37% versus inflation of 32%. And for the January, March 2026 period, the VAT was rose 9% and inflation was 9%. Energy purchase costs in the first quarter declined 9% due to a lower demand from residential customers due to, as said low temperatures during the summer, lower economic activity at industrial clients and an adjustment in energy purchase price that were lower than inflation. I would like to take a few minutes to highlight our ongoing efforts to manage costs. where we saw important progress, which made an important contribution to our rates in EBITDA. Operating expenses for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by 9%, reaching a total of ARS 282 billion. Cost management contributed to the positive results with a focus on streamlining operations and technology. The savings are related to our OpEx review plan initiated in 2025, including the development and retirement plan aimed at proportion talent renewal and workforce optimization, which result in a 5% reduction in salaries expenses and a 37% decrease in pension cost plans. Dividend consumption declined 22% due to inventory management optimization and third-party services costs were down 14% ER penalties were down substantially 45%, driven by the change in the valuation mechanisms as defined by the regulator and improved service indicators. Finally, in March of 2026, we recognized pending receivables from the national government for a total of ARS 20 billion. This is a mutually agreement at Guadamarco based on the cost of energy consumed in the lower income neighborhoods in 2024 and 2025. Net financial results. In the first quarter, the net financial expenses declined 23% to ARS 71 billion due to primarily a reduction of the impact of interest expenses on the debt with CAMESA and the realization of debt obligations according to the agreement signed with CAMESA last year. The first quarter saw a profit of ARS 118 billion, up 147% versus the first quarter of 2025, led by the positive impact of the tariff adjustments and the increase in RBA and lower operating expenses. CapEx. We invested ARS 70 billion in the first 3 months of the year. Our investment spending reflects our firm commitment to improve service quality, which is reflected in the significant improvements in our main operating indicators. We highlight our key projects that are underway, including the new substation in Mono and the expansion of the Bancalare substation. We are also planning additional projects for 2026, including replacement of Newbridge substation with the new facilities and the interconnection of the Coleheres substation in June of this year. We also continue to work to transform our network into a smart network by installing increasing numbers of remote control points, tleesupervision points as well as smart meters. This allow us to quickly resolve problems that raise in the network remotely, which is where we do isolation of any part of the system experience a service problem and established service very quickly. Operating indicators. Now let's take a look of a few of the key operating indicators. Energy losses. Our energy losses for the first 3 months were 15.3%, down from 15.7% at the end of December of 2025. Reducing energy losses is a top priority for us. Our multidisciplinary teams are working constantly to find innovation ways to combat energy losses. These efforts are complemented by our market discipline initiatives that are aimed at curbing inefficiencies and irregularities. Also, analytical tools powered by artificial intelligence have improved inspection efficiencies and our market discipline actions continue to detect and rectify irregular connections. It is important to remember that the 15.3% total losses, a full of 9.62% are losses recognized by the regulatory entity in our tariffs. The first 3 months of 2026 energy losses were 15.3% quality of service. As mentioned earlier, our investment plan is continuing to contribute the improvement in service quality by reducing the duration and frequency of outages, which have been a downward path since 2017. These levels are and have been comfortably exceeding the levels required by the regulatory entity. For the first quarter, the SAIDI and SAIFI service quality indicators show continued strong performance at 6.1 hours and 2.9 average outages per client at record low levels and down 78% and 67%, respectively, compared to the 2017 levels. This recovery in service is mainly due to the strong consistent level of investment that the company has been doing for the last 9 years. The investments have been focused on implementing improvements in operational process and the adoption of technology applied to the operations and management of the network. Financial debt. In February, the company reopened a senior note Class 7 for an amount of $90 million. This brought the total outstanding senior note 7 to $475 million. In March, the company prepared the senior notes Class 8 for $80 million plus interest. As of the end of March, the total senior notes plus loans outstanding was $832 million with a net debt at March 31, 2026. Total net debt is $463 million. A key positive over the last few years, which continues in 2026 has been improved in our ratings in recent years as a result of the improvement in our risk profile due to important changes in the regulatory framework. On March of 2026, FIX upgraded the long-term issuance rates from A to A+ and the short-term issuance rate from A1 to A1+. Financial debt, recent developments. Last month, in April of 2026, we raised $550 million in a senior note Class 10 with offers of nearly $1.2 billion and completed a cash tender of $175 million in senior notes Class 7. The tender reduced the outstanding senior notes Class 7 to $300 million. Use of proceeds was applied for the cancellation of $175 million in senior notes Class 7 plus $26.7 million for a portion of senior notes Class 3 and 5. This enabled us to achieve a $200 million reduction in net debt. Financial debt position. This brought our total senior notes outstanding pro forma to USD 1 billion. As you can see here, we have a very manageable maturity schedule with no maturities for the next years. New businesses. We want to share with you our vision of new businesses and how we are positioning the company for a long-term expansion, diversification and value creation. As a starting point in 2024, the company amended its corporate bylaws for the purpose to provide greater flexibility and to actively capture opportunities arising from the energy transition and the broader electricity, electrification of the economy. This was a deliberate and strategic decision that opens the door to a much more wider set of growth avenues. Our business development is anchored in 2 core drivers: capturing growth in the energy sector and expanding through both vertical and horizontal integration. In terms of strategy, we intend to capitalize on a dynamic energy M&A landscape, leveraging to an ongoing privatization program, which presents several compelling opportunities across the energy value chain. We will also seek to drive synergies through integration with our core business while remaining alert to opportunities in the complementary assets. In the terms of scope, the sector we are targeting, including electric transportation and grid expansion, generation and storage, electric mobility, including oil and gas downstream, energy infrastructure and natural gas distribution and commercialization, a broad and well-diversified set of verticals and aligned with the energy sector is heating. The bottom line is clear. This strategy is designed to deliver expansion, diversification and value for both our investors and our consumers. Final remarks, we remain highly optimistic about our future. Results have benefited significantly from tariff normalization. We have now complemented a full year since the approval of the implementation of the 5-year tariff view with an EBITDA raising a sharp of 127% year-to-year in the first quarter to $191 million. The overall improvement has underpinned an improvement in debt ratings and working capital. It has also enabled us to continue our investment program with positive results in all our main key operating indicators. With the realization of our debt with CAMESA, all outstanding balances are now included in 3 payment plans to be paid over 64 and 72 remaining installments. This week, as we said, the national government also submitted a draft of a law to the Argentine Congress to provide a framework to regularize the regulatory asset claim for the difference of tariff adjustments since 2018 -- '19 and 2023. Our diversified financial strategy has also enabled us to have consistent access to local and international capital markets. Finally, I would like to mention that we remain committed to looking for other opportunities to take advantage of our enormous changes taking place in Argentina and in the global energy market. This was reflected in our change in 2024 in our strategy to provide increasing flexibility and capture opportunities related to energy transition and electrification of the economy. With this, now we would like to open the call to your questions. To ask a question, please send a written message to Ed through the question-answers menu, identify yourself and see that you have a question. We thank you very much for your support and your engagement as shareholders and also bondholders.

Mano from Balance is asking, could you please provide more color on the project of the executive branch sent to the Congress regarding the regulatory base? What estimates are you working with?

Well, we know that in October of last year, sorry, we present the claim of the regulatory asset base and the government has sent last week to Congress to pass a law regarding this consideration. And now this is in the process of the commission of the Congress of the Energy Commission analyzing the project of the law and then we'll go to deputies and then to Senadors. So it will take probably 1 month or more than a month to come to an agreement with that from the government side.

Another question from Andres Milano from is how much should we expect for CapEx to be during 2026?

Okay. Investment in the first quarter was ARS 70 billion, approximately $49 million. For 2026, we anticipate CapEx will be in the range of $170 million, $180 million. This is somewhat lower than 2025 spending, which was higher for specific reasons, particularly the certain market conditions in 2024 and 2025. We expect our CapEx program will be -- remain very robust and solid with projects spending in the current project range. This should be -- enable us to continue to expand the network and in coming years to take advantage of our growing market and continue to adapt for new technologies.

First of all, there is another question from Julia. First of all, congratulations on the strong set of results delivered this quarter regarding the operation performance, aside from the CLP 20 billion nonrecurring gain related to the Cuadamarco, were there any other onetime benefits impacting the margin expansion Furthermore, are there other relevant drivers you would highlight? Any further information to help isolate the running run rate and better understand the margins sustainability for the rest of the year would be greatly appreciated.

Okay. Thank you for the congratulations. We are very proud that we have a very good results for this quarter. I'm completely according to what you said is the ARS 20 billion effect of Acuordoarco is onetime effect. And there is another effect that is the metering of monthly metering instead of bimonthly metering has also increased the revenue base of this quarter, and it's also a onetime effect. So we are expecting for for EBITDA according to what the rating agencies have established, the rating agencies are thinking that our EBITDA for the year -- full year is going to be close to $300 million, $320 million. So that will be the run rate that we suggest you to consider when you do your projections. Okay. If there are no more questions, thank you very much for participating in our quarterly conference call. And please do not hesitate to contact us or our Investor Relations department for any further inquiries. -- you may have. Good morning to everybody, and have a nice weekend -- a nice week, sorry.