The APA Group (ASX: APA) share price is in focus after the company reported an 8.3% lift in underlying EBITDA to $2,183 million, surpassing guidance, and announced its 22nd consecutive increase in securityholder distributions.
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What did APA Group report?
- Underlying EBITDA rose 8.3% to $2,183 million (FY25: $2,015 million), ahead of the midpoint of guidance
- Free cash flow increased 3.2% to $1,118 million
- Statutory revenue (excluding pass-through) was up 1.9% to $2,764 million
- Statutory net profit after tax jumped 81.4% to $234 million
- FY26 distribution increased 1.8% to 58.0 cents per security, in line with guidance
- EBITDA margin improved by 370bps to 77.9% due to $80 million of cost-out initiatives
What else do investors need to know?
APA's cost-out program delivered $80 million in savings, exceeding its $50 million target and underpinning stronger margins. Capital investment of $546 million went into major growth projects, such as the Brigalow Peaking Power Plant, East Coast Gas Grid expansion, and Sturt Plateau Pipeline.
The group continues to streamline operations, with business simplification initiatives, divestments, and restructuring measures. Its organic growth pipeline has expanded to approximately $3.5 billion, supported by a strong balance sheet and debt raises, positioning APA to fund new opportunities.
What did APA Group management say?
APA CEO and Managing Director, Adam Watson, said:
FY26 was a year of strong financial and operational performance as we continue to deliver on our commitments to securityholders and position APA to capture value from our ~$3.5 billion organic growth pipeline. Our underlying earnings were up 8.3% and above the mid-point of guidance, supported by new assets and ongoing strong operational performance. $80 million in cost-out initiatives were delivered across the year, exceeding our target. Securityholder distributions again increased for the 22nd consecutive year.
What's next for APA Group?
Looking ahead, APA has outlined underlying EBITDA guidance for FY27 of $2,260 million to $2,340 million, indicating mid-single-digit growth. This is expected to be driven by inflation-linked tariff escalation, the benefit of the new Sturt Plateau Pipeline, asset conversions, and ongoing cost savings.
Distributions to securityholders are forecast to grow to 59.0 cents per security in FY27. APA is also advancing projects in renewable energy, gas-powered generation, and infrastructure to support data centres, while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation.
APA Group share price snapshot
The APA Group share price has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) over the past 12 months with a gain of 15%.
