Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários S.A. (MULT3) Q4 FY2025 Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the earnings call of the results regarding the fourth quarter of 2025 of Multiplan. We have here with us the directors of the company. We would like to let everyone know that the presentation of the results is available for download at the IR website of Multiplan [email protected]. Before proceeding, I'd like to state that any statements that might be done during the earnings call regarding the business perspectives of the company, projections and operational goals and financial goals are based on beliefs and premises of Multiplan's Board of Directors based on information currently available to the company. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance. They involve risks, and these are stated for the forward-looking statements. So they depend on circumstances that may occur or not. Investors should know that general economic conditions, industry conditions and other operational factors might affect the future results of the company and might lead to results that are materially different from those stated in the forward-looking statements. Now I'd like to give the floor to Eduardo Peres. The floor is yours.

Good morning. It's a pleasure to be with you to talk about Multiplan's Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. So before we talk about the quarter itself, I'd like to highlight something important. The results that we see today are stemming from a transformational cycle that was built throughout the last years. It was a period of investments and disciplined execution that position Multiplan in a new threshold of efficiency, deliverables and operational capacity. With that, we allocated over BRL 6 billion in expansion, digital innovation and capital return to the shareholders. Of this, I'd like to talk about the reshare and strategic requiring of shares with BarraShopping, for example, one of the most dominant assets of the country. At the same time, we kept discipline in management, reducing the expenses. In 2025, we've reached the last level of expenses with a drop in over 32%. But efficiency is translated directly into the operational results. We got to the highest annual NOI margin and our average occupancy rate is of 96.3%. More than 50,000 square meters of new GLA were delivered over the last 3 years, including the expansion of Barigui, Diamond Mall and Parque Shopping Maceio that was launched in November. In March, we're going to get to the fourth deliverable with the expansion of MorumbiShopping. For 2026, we still have the expansions of BarraShopping, Belo Horizonte and Parque Shopping in Brazil. The cycle is also strengthened by the quality of our assets. In 2025, the tenant sales grew by 8%, getting to close to BRL 26 billion with 11 malls, surpassing BRL 1 billion in sales. During Christmas, while the sector grew 0.3%, our malls grew over 7%. This is a clear indicator of the attractiveness and relevance of our portfolio. Now we closed the year with a record EBITDA of BRL 2 billion and a net income exceeding BRL 1 billion for the third consecutive year, even after relevant higher financial expenses. This talks about the resilience of our business model and cash generation. Multi, the app, still continues to gain scale and importance. In 2025, we recorded 62 million interactions, and we got to 5.6 million active users. 20% of the sales of the mall were registered through the app. We also evolved in the use of artificial intelligence in our business, applied to Multi and the internal processes that used -- optimize time and reduce cost. These developments reinforce our digital strategy, connecting and generating value for clients and tenants. In the real estate sector, I'd like to highlight the launch in May of Lake Baikal, the third condominium of Golden Lake. That development is continuing the expansion of the primary area surrounding BarraShoppingSul. Golden Lake will be the home of approximately 1,500 families, increasing the traffic to the mall and enhancing the importance of that area in Porto Alegre. We're also studying and we expect to launch and build 3 expansions in '27, Jundiai, Sao Caetano and Belo Horizonte. Belo Horizonte with 13,000 square meters, Sao Caetano with 9,000, Jundiai with 8,000 will total 30,000 square meters of growth in '27. What has brought us here is our long-term conviction and the dedication of a highly qualified team to whom I extend my sincere appreciation for their daily commitment. To you, investors and analysts, thank you for your trust in our company. Now we will go to the Q&A session. Thanks.

[Operator Instructions] First one, Ygor Altero, XP.

Two points on my side. First, I wanted to understand how do you see that dynamic in the macro of higher interest rates? How is your mind in allocation, the focus of the company and priorities when we think about M&As expansion, even a potential greenfield. That's the first point. The other point is regarding CapEx. I can see that the CapEx of revamping is with a lower threshold. So what should we expect for this dynamic of CapEx for 2026?

Ygor, thank you for the question. I don't think that this is a low CapEx. I think it's enough. It's enough so we can deliver what we agreed to this year. I think that the comparison with what we've been doing, it's not every year that you're going to do a repurchase of shares of the size that we did. But we want to leave some space so we can work with opportunities that may appear, just like BarraShopping. To talk about M&As, just like you mentioned, we are always paying attention for the good opportunities that may appear. So we need to have space for that. Interest rates, it's very difficult to imagine. It seems like they're going to drop this year. With certainty, no one has any certainty. The certainty that we know that this is going to be a year of a lot of work, another year of engagement and be committed to overcome the numbers that we've had for '25. So it's a lot of work. It's a lot of hard work. And looking ahead, as we've done the last 3, we're going to do a strong work this year.

[indiscernible].

Two questions on our side. First, at least on our side, the pipeline of CapEx should be lower than '26. Given this context, I wanted to understand how the company evaluates the possibility of structural interest over capital and what is the payout that the Board thinks that is more sustainable? And thinking about this, what is the level of leverage that you think that is ideal for this year?

This is Armando. Thank you for your questions. Well, as Eduardo has answered in the previous question, the CapEx tends to decrease. The CapEx last year was higher because of the opportunity of M&A. And the answer is, obviously, it will depend on the opportunities. We have deliverables. We have 4 expansions with the CapEx that we have to deliver with success all throughout the year. The ideal leverage is very theoretical because it depends on the interest rates, and we are facing this interest rates that we don't have any control of what we're going to get. We're very comfortable with the level of interest rates and the level of leverage that we have nowadays, even though we have a strong investment at the end of '24. But since we have a vision that is very positive of investments and opportunities, as Eduardo said, I wanted to open more space to seize these opportunities as they appear. We are not resource managers. So either we have the opportunity of growth or we return more money. Of course, with the capital infrastructure that is more ideal and the level of interest rates, 2x, it makes me very comfortable. We were comfortable with 3x with a different interest rate. So we're going to be adaptive as the scenario manifests itself.

Next question, Elvis Credendio, analyst of Itau.

Well, two questions on my side. First, about cost and expenses in the quarter. We see the cost of property very low. We have lower -- so I wanted to understand how do you expect these lines through '26. Do you think that this is a threshold that is easy to keep throughout '26 In every one of those lines? Or maybe do you expect that there's going to be a catch-up for the historical levels with more speed? And the second question is about the recycling of assets. The company sold 3 stakes all throughout the year. And I wanted to understand how do you see this dynamic up ahead, given that we can talk about the very strong market. And do you want to do any more of these movements? What is the objective?

Elvis, this is Eduardo. Let me start by your second question. As we told you recently, is of the operation of the company, buying and selling shares participation. So that happened many times throughout the history of the company. Maybe there's going to be a cycle where you are going to specifically do the sale of a participation that is a minority on shopping X or Y, but always keeping control and always seeking positive results for the company, opening space for other investments. So I'd like to make it clear. This is a movement that is constant. It appears it happened many times. Last year, we had BarraShopping. We didn't expect, but the price was so attractive, the business was so good. We said, let's buy it. Levels of efficiency of the company. As you mentioned, if I think it's sustainable. I want to believe that, yes. We're always going to try and get the best efficiency possible. Last year, we recovered BRL 100 million in credits and taxes and rubrics, different rubrics. We are very active. We're very aggressive in our legal unlock.

Looking for new revenue streams and also what was left behind. I want to believe that we're going to deliver the same or better. Is it difficult?

It should be better, yes, but it's not impossible. The team is integrated. Everybody has a lot of -- they want to work to repeat last year and improve it. Well -- many times, the analysts, they look at the pinpoint recovery of expenses. But if you look at the margin of NOI, we have the recovery of expenses, as Eduardo reported. This expense is on the DRE. It's recurrent. And we see this as recurring. And the work of the company has to be more efficient, and this is reflected on the record margins that we've presented, not only in the NOI, but also EBITDA. So it's important also to remember that in the not-so-distant past, when we were not part of the BRL 1 billion club, we grew, and we didn't have efficiency. We didn't deliver results. Now we grow, we deliver results that are much higher, and we still return some capital to the shareholders. So we're living in a very good world. Could it be better? Yes. But this is a challenge of the company.

And Eduardo, another point. So there is a lot of interesting things that we can consider. If you look at 5 years down behind, how much capital did we allocate?

Over BRL 7 billion allocated capital. When we look at the growth here -- and I keep your investments and what we're doing now, we invested BRL 3 billion, and we returned to the shareholders BRL 4.8 billion, and BRL 2.5 billion we could return capital, we could grow the company and we could generate a record efficiency this year. So we're going to continue 2026 with this same performance of improving the results.

Next question, Carla Graca from Bank of America.

The first is about the tax reform. Is there any account of impact and any negotiation with the tenants? And a second question, so we can understand the BRL 1 billion of retroactive interest of the capital. Well, how can we distribute this over the time? Can you deduce it all in 1 year? Is there a limit?

Well, the first question, I don't know -- the tax reform, I cannot tell you all the impacts because there is a lot of new rules being applied. It's an enormous work to be developed with the new regulations. And we're going to analyze throughout time these impacts, as you commented, with the tenant, with the negotiations with the providers, all of them are relevant. But now in general lines, we start to have a benefit. We don't want to lose the past credits. We want to appropriate ourselves of the credits and in a company such as ours that invests in new areas, everything that would be taken out throughout the accounting lifespan, they're going to be used immediately. So if you bought cement, you're going to take this credit immediately. So this simplicity will help. And throughout time, this -- with the implementation of the tax reform, it will create companies that are more competitive, simpler. Let's leave it with more details as this is implemented. Regarding your second question of the interest of our capital. Well, you could state this amount at the same time. And now we're going to evaluate -- so as we have a vision of how much is going to be invested in growth and how much it will be for the return of capital for the investors, we can or not use this money. So we need some more time this year, and then we can see how the economic environment will be, the interest rate, and then we can discuss this later.

Next question is Gustavo Cambauva, BTG Pactual.

I have a question more regarding how you are imagining the performance of the wholesale -- for the retail for 2026.

Well, all the retailers are talking about the weaker economic downturn, but January has been better, but this is a year more complex of the World Cup, election. They don't tend to be so good for retail in general.

So at the same time, we see your portfolio is performing very well with the turnover very low. So the exchange has to be low with the vacancy with lower thresholds. So I want to understand how do you see more on the side of retail. Until what point that deceleration in the fourth quarter, do you see it as a concern? And even 2026, is there any point of attention? And until which level have you seen more interest on the tenants for your portfolio?

A few points that we can consider. Election year is a year that everybody spends more. The government spends more. There is more money circulating. Since I've been here, it's always a good year for retail. It's not a bad year. We are very -- it's very productive. We feel very strongly the effect of the tourists in, for example, Rio de Janeiro, there has been a lot of participation here. You have that situation where the salaries until BRL 5,000 are exempt and you have more money in the market, and they will certainly push for the retail in a positive way. I'm always optimistic, this year more. There is a World Cup. There is a lesser impact. So I don't expect that this is going to be a bad year for retail, as you asked. And this is a portfolio where people want to be, the quality of the portfolio wants to bring us where the shopping invests, where the shopping mall promotes, we're always at the forefront. And they can do this better, always. They want to seek the best experience for the shopping mall. And this is the magic and the success of the company. We want to surprise our clients. We're always optimistic for the year. I don't see any difficulty up ahead. Well, complementing this point and explaining this optimism, this cycle of investment and revamping this is generating results for the company in a way that is interesting of seeing this last -- well, yesterday, we see the growth of market share in sales in the shopping mall sector. So it's been growing year-on-year. 2019, we had an 8.5% of the volume of sales in the shopping mall. 2024, the strategy for the initial comments, this is going to generate results for the company, generating growth of market share. And as an anecdote, there is also the carnival.

And you talked about the digital, well, how is the interest of the tenants?

You have expansions for the tenant. And it is at the store that they sell the most. And they pay for that for increasing their sales. So our portfolio is that. That interest is growing. It's 100% allocated. We shouldn't be pessimistic.

Next question is Andr� Mazini, Citibank.

Two questions. The revenue of rent has dropped on a few shopping malls. Certainly, this is a pinpoint. So how much it is year-on-year and how much it is of the portfolio? And there is a drop that resetted the threshold of rent over the next quarter. So -- it's not an L-shape, it's V-shape in Belo Horizonte. And the BP in 2 months is negative. And the understanding is that ignored when there is an adjustment of inflation and you consider 0. So most of the contracts, if you can confirm this understanding.

Andre, well, we need to expand and expand in 15,000 square meters ABL. But it was an agreement in '24. And it is an agreemen that was a discussion of a difference in rent of 10 years, and we create this distortion. And well, I'm going to keep your via victory. We are going to be growing as you were. With regard to BarraShopping, it's the first shopping mall of the network. We have 3 shopping malls in Belo Horizonte, but everyone wants to be there. So we have an expansion there, I want this space, I want this and that. So there is an opportunity -- there is still an opportunity to grow. We are not concerned.

Well, the revenue of rent will grow. And what pushes that ahead is not IGP or it's the shopping mall performing better. This is happening year-on-year. You asked about the difference of positive to negative with the adjustment of GP. Let's remember that now we are talking about the correction of rent. So correction cannot be downward. So the reading is always that we need to protect. Well, we have a contract of 30 years where the inflation was 40% a month. So that's our mindset. We are positive.

Mazini. So just taking a number, let's go back to 2024. Remember this agreement. The rent of shopping mall grew 30% in 2024. So I'm going to be very happy to do cash flow 12 months before to see that it didn't grow in 2025 because of a pinpoint issue. Well, the point is when we talk about BarraShopping, even I am surprised by the demand of the shopping mall is very big. There is a small expansion that we announced. There is a big demand. So there, we have the potential for growth, and this is the way that we're going to do it in 2027.

Next question, Jorel Guilloty, analyst of Goldman Sachs.

I have two questions here. The first one, I wanted you to comment on the IGP and how can that impact the same-store rent? The impact of IGP was low. It was about 1%. But even so, you had a real growth of 4% same-store rent. 2025, the impact of the readjustment of IGP was higher, but the real growth of same-store rent was 2%. So my question is, how should we think about this dynamic from now on? We should see a real growth of same-store rent leasing spreads. And another question is about Multi. You discussed in the release that you had BRL 5 billion in sales by Multi. But when I see your portfolio, the sales are BRL 25 billion. So the clients of Multi have registered a big percentage of your sales. So what I wanted to understand is how are you monetizing Multi? We see the impact of Multi in the service line and how can that grow in the future?

I'm going to answer this part, which is digital. So you are seeing it, the monetization. When you see 20% of sales going through the app, you are keeping these people and you created an object that people want that didn't exist before. So let's remember that it hasn't been a long time. We didn't even know who got into the shopping mall. So now with the advancement and all the integration of that ecosystem of reading the car plate, so you know who goes through the shopping mall, and this is very valuable. The tenants started to contribute themselves so they can have more data of their own sales. So this is a system that is feeding on itself. So the best way of Multi be monetized is through the growth of sales of the company. And this is happening already. There are people close to us that want to change the categories. So we created a good product that people want. And when people get into the shopping mall, if they get in through any of the automatic tags, they're not a client of shopping mall. At Multiplan now, every client that gets in that are registered at Multi, we have access to all of their trajectory throughout the mall. So this gives us a quality of information that is incredible. Now in Christmas, we got a few people that registered the participation to visit the Christmas tree. And in the same day, they came to Rio De Janeiro. We wouldn't know if it wasn't for this path that we created and now we're trailing. So now I call your attention for the quality of the information. We already monetized. We brought some partners inside Multi. We are still at the beginning, but there is still a long ways ahead, but it generates a lot of representativeness. We have 5,600,000 people active in the program. I think it's very relevant.

And to complete here, the same-store rent, real one, that you commented, you asked 2 questions. The accumulated inflation, the explanation of the real being lower is not due to the inflation that was transferred. But today, answering your previous question, we had a comparison that was very high with the fourth quarter of 2024 that made this indicator higher. So Jorel, how do I like to look at this? We have this track record since the opening of the capital in 2027, and we're going to have a growth of 3.5% real above the effect of the IGP. But the IGP effect lower, nothing is just good. There is the other side. You have a balance. You get an index that is lower of correction. It helps the shopping mall to be more competitive. So you attract more tenants. So the growth of rent, not only by the readjustment of inflation, but the valuing of the area. So this is the combination that we're looking. No concern about the real same-store rent, it has been growing the base of comparison for 2024. Did we answer your question?

Next question is Matheus Meloni from Santander.

Well, on our side, it's more to understand this issue of how the tenants are preparing themselves for the tax reform. So how is this discussion from the standpoint of the tenants? And also understanding how do you see this issue of the reform in the condominium cost and expenses and CapEx? Do you think that the tax reform will be a bit inflationary in cost and expenses? This is all on our side.

So on the side of the tenants, we are trying to understand everyone is trying to learn together. Of course, there's going to be a discussion. [indiscernible] conversation. Now in regards to the condominium, we have to understand that the tenants are different. We know that with the condominium with the option of trying to get the credits. So paying the energy bills, we're trying to get the credit for the taxes. We're always going to try and repass this credit. But sincerely, we are seeing a transition. And when we discuss the example of the taxes, this has to be discussed, but it's very preliminary. But certainly, we are looking at this with a lot of diligence.

So the next question is Tainan Costa, UBS.

I wanted to go back to one of the first points that Eduardo commented at the beginning of the call with regard to the study for some expansions in '27. I think that the first one is what is the expectation of CapEx for this project? What would be a trigger to continue with them? And the third would be giving a readout of this is trying to understand how decisive the election is for your capital structure allocation. So the company more leveraged in 2027. Can we opt for a strategy more focused on dividends or focused on growth? This would be on our side.

So the question of CapEx. It's still very distant to talk about this. The projects are being elaborated. I can't just give you a pretty number, but we hope that in the future, we're going to discuss this with more precision. But the important thing is to have the possibility of finding that opportunity of growth. We have these 3 expansions. But not only the 3, it's obvious that the result of the election will change the mind of the company. If Brazil goes down the path of balance -- fiscal balance, and we cannot continue to grow if the tenant doesn't believe in the future of the country. So we're working with the consequence of the retail market. So I cannot do the shopping mall alone. We need the tenants to believe in the future.

So yes, the result of the election will influence the future of the company. You need to convince 50, 150 tenants to move for an expansion that they believe that the country will continue to go down the fiscal balance and everything that we imagine that Brazil needs.

And about this point of Eduardo about the trigger, having a demand for the space and then you have the return, the capital allocation that generates, it's not growing for growth. We want to generate higher returns.

Next question will be in English. We are going to have Alejandra Obregon from Morgan Stanley.

I guess what I wanted to ask is on your tenants and your long-term thinking around it. So I wonder if you can elaborate on whether tenants are growing selective and whether the appetite from big brands, regardless if they're local or international, is changing for high productivity malls? And if so, how do you see the cadence of those trends shaping your future plans? Meaning is it more divestments in minorities in some of the less A-rated locations? Is it greater concentration in some of the more prime assets and perhaps more expansions there? Or even are you thinking of changing how you structure contracts to capture that appetite? So that would be my question.

So Alejandra, thank you for your question. Let's see if I could understand and answer everything that you just asked. No, it's clear that we have shopping malls with more productivity, presenting better results and bringing and attracting more tenants, attracting tenants that want to have their exposure being larger. Eduardo just answered the previous question, where he discussed of a tenant that had a participation with BarraShopping that wants to have more participation in the store that they sell the most. So you're going to see situations such as this. You can see situations of new brands, whether if it's national, whether if it's foreign going to the mall.

So the issue of monetizing the shopping malls, it's not because they're better or they're worse?

No. We don't have that. Our shopping malls all are wonderful, and we're always going to invest so that they're better and they're going to attract more brands. So this is an opportunity for business and shopping malls that we have a 100% control, that we can we can -- we don't have to change the management model, and we can reinvest this in growth. What we've seen is with the participations in a few enterprises that we have 100% and we want to invest in other assets and the growth of CapEx as it was in the big repurchase of shares that we've done. I don't know if I answered all of your question, but to make it clear, the assets have a flight to call with clarity, the data of [indiscernible] that shows our growth in participation where it shows the productivity of our shopping malls growing more and more than the average of the industry demonstrates this clearly, and this is in our report on Page 6, which is clear.

Next question, Rafael Rehder, analyst of Safra.

I have two questions. The first one, I wanted to talk about the expansion of Morumbi. I wanted to know if you can discuss how the spaces are, how they are allocated? How is the negotiation of allocation with the viability of the project? And the second one, I wanted to talk about Golden Lake. You delivered the first phase in December. The second phase is sold out, 70% of sales. So do you have anything to find on when we should get the launch of the third phase?

Rafael, thank you for the questions. Let me start by Golden Lake. We reached with the sales that happened in January and this part of February, we got to 73% of Lake Erie being sold. These are smaller apartments than Lake Victoria. And for the phase that we are starting to build and we're starting to open the foundation is very good. We have 127 in total units. So there is little units, and you still have 2 years ahead. So we're going to get to the deliverables of 100% sold. The next step will be Lake Baikal, which are projects of an average size and with a higher threshold. Since we changed the parameter, the spreads are going to have 29 floors. So you're going to have an expectation of a result and higher efficiency of the project because you decrease the cost of implementation of the base, which is a common area plus the apartment. So it's more viable. This is a positive point. And the first question, just to remind you, Rafael, that at Golden Lake, you're going to have about 1,500 families living there. So you're talking about 10,000 people going to the primary area of BarraShoppingSul. It's a lot of people, and it's a decisive factor for the big tenants to position themselves in BarraShopping. MorumbiShopping. Well, I'm very satisfied with MorumbiShopping. Fortunately, on the 18th of March, everybody will be invited and you can get to know the expansion of Morumbi. You have several brands that are important. There can be -- it's healthy because you get someone else. The expansion wasn't a big expansion, but it is going to requalify the shopping mall as a whole. So we have a very nice area for events for the food court where people can stay, you talk about a shopping mall that has 30 restaurants and it's going to go to 40. The numbers of Morumbi are impressive. So the return is aligned with what we expected. The work has worked along the deadlines with what was budgeted. For my big satisfaction, we managed to take the level of Morumbi to the level of Sao Paulo. So I felt before we started the reform and the expansion that the shopping mall was a bit below what it represents to Sao Paulo. Now it's along the same lines of sophistication that Sao Paulo requires of a shopping mall such as MorumbiShopping. And you will see in 40 days, it will be ready. We're very happy. It was very complex to do this expansion because we took a deck park that had the load for a car, which is 300 kilograms per square meter, and now you double that. So you need to reinforce with carbon fiber. It's a very complex work. The expansion is always difficult, and you don't have a terrain that we're starting from 0. You need to do the work with the shopping mall working. But it's very important. It complements at the moment that you can get what is missing for that shopping mall to be more complete. Thank you. Have a nice weekend.

Thank you for all the questions. We're going to close now the Q&A session, and we invite the participants that still have questions to get in contact with the Investor Relations department. So I'd like to give the floor to Eduardo Peres for the closing of the session.

So I'd like to thank everyone for their patience with the company, for the team. Thank you to the team that always seeks excellence in work in all the assets. This is the secret of Multiplan. We're never satisfied. We always want more, and we always want to be better. I confess that after these 3 years, I feel lighter for being able to deliver everything that we propose ourselves to do. I'd like to thank all of you and guarantee that this is going to be another year of deliverables that are very strong of the company. Thank you very much.

Thank you. The earnings call of the fourth quarter of 2025 of Multiplan is closed. Have a nice day. [Statements in English on this transcript were spoken by an interpreter present on the live call.]