To assess whether Italgas S.p.A. is suitable to issue hybrid bonds, we evaluate its financial profile based on the 2022 annual report data: 1. **Profitability and Earnings:** The company demonstrates strong and consistent profitability. Profit for the period increased from 383,420,000 EUR in 2021 to 436,126,000 EUR in 2022. The operating profit also grew from 583,231,000 EUR to 641,338,000 EUR. 2. **Solvency and Leverage:** The company has a substantial asset base (11.03 billion EUR as of 2023-01-01) against liabilities of 8.64 billion EUR. The equity base is robust at 2.39 billion EUR. While it carries significant long-term financial debt (6.4 billion EUR), it is an infrastructure-heavy utility company, which is typical for the sector. 3. **Cash Flow and Dividend Coverage:** Italgas maintains healthy cash flows from operations (548.17 million EUR in 2022). It consistently pays dividends (238.88 million EUR recognized in 2022), and its ability to cover these dividends from earnings suggests financial flexibility. 4. **Nature of Business:** As a utility, Italgas has stable, regulated revenue streams (core business revenue of 2.18 billion EUR). This stability is a prerequisite for hybrid capital, as investors look for companies with predictable cash flows to service subordinated debt. 5. **Hybrid Bond Suitability:** Hybrid bonds (equity-like debt) are often used to optimize capital structure while maintaining credit ratings. Italgas has a strong investment-grade style profile (stable operations, consistent dividends, and large asset base), making it a candidate that would be viewed favorably by the market for hybrid issuance to support capital expenditure or refinance debt. Given the strong profitability, stable cash flows from core utility operations, and a solid track record of financial management, Italgas is well-positioned to issue hybrid bonds to manage its capital structure effectively. Strongly Suitable