In the first half of 2024, state-owned Ukrposhta increased its revenue by 10.6% year-on-year to UAH 6 billion 170.2 million, while reducing its net loss by 34.5% to UAH 428.1 million.
According to the reports published in the disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the company’s gross profit in the first half of 2024 increased 16.6 times – from UAH 31.1 million to UAH 550.6 million, while operating loss decreased by 43.6% to UAH 420.9 million.
In the first half of the year, national postal services accounted for the largest share of total revenues – UAH 3 billion 587.6 million (+19.5%), including the delivery of parcels and small packages – UAH 1 billion 895.2 million (+19.8%), written correspondence – UAH 741.8 million (+11.1%), international postal exchange – UAH 614.4 million (+34.5%), and subscriptions and delivery of periodicals – UAH 141.5 million (+36.5%).
Financial and related services brought Ukrposhta UAH 2 billion 203 million (+5.4%), including payment and delivery of pensions – UAH 1 billion 435.7 million (+0.1%), payment acceptance – UAH 561.8 million (+12.9%) and postal transfers – UAH 156.4 million (+19.5%).
Revenues from trading in the company’s own and commission goods decreased by 22.4% to UAH 377.8 million in the first half of the year.
It is noted that investment expenditures on non-current assets increased by 31.8% to UAH 312.1 billion.
It is specified that as of June 30, 2024, funds on demand and deposits in the amount of UAH 2 billion 105.7 million (as of December 31, 2022 – UAH 2 billion 275.1 million) were placed in three large Ukrainian state-owned banks.
It is noted that as of the middle of this year, the company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by UAH 3.49 billion, while at the beginning of the year they were UAH 3.01 billion.
According to the report, as of June 30, the company had about 28.84 thousand points of presence in Ukraine and 33.64 thousand employees.
It is emphasized that the company is gradually adapting to the difficult conditions by improving its business processes and investing in automation and continuous operations. In particular, by the end of the third quarter of 2024, it plans to complete the transition to automated parcel sorting and implement a new Track & Trace system.
“A special priority for the company is to prepare for a difficult winter in the face of possible blackouts. We are purchasing additional materials and equipment for heating, power supply and communications, including additional 3-in-1 devices for the network. The new BePost front-end system is being scaled up, and IT systems are being finalized to enable offline operation,” Ukrposhta said.
The company noted that it sees these measures not only as additional critical investments in continuity, but also as a potential opportunity to increase service volumes in the event of power outages.
According to its management, taking into account the probability of possible scenarios, Ukrposhta’s cash flows from operating activities for the 12 months to the end of the second quarter of 2025 are positive. The company has additionally assessed potential risks of its operations, primarily such as a shortfall in revenues from postal and financial areas during blackouts and additional costs for the winter.
“The corresponding stress test of the liquidity forecast demonstrates that the company will be able to continue to meet its obligations to creditors and complete key investment projects in the foreseeable future,” the report says.
As reported, in the first quarter of 2024, Ukrposhta increased its revenue by 10.1% to UAH 3.05 billion, reducing its net loss by 2.1 times to UAH 190.3 million.
Impact of electricity deficit on real GDP vs no deficit, % (forecast up to 2024)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
Independent US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. has announced that he will support Republican candidate Donald Trump in the upcoming elections.
“I will be supporting Trump,” he said during his address to voters.
At the same time, Kennedy Jr. explained that this does not mean the end of his campaign. He said that his supporters would be able to vote for him in those states where Trump would not be able to win a majority of votes anyway.
At the same time, Kennedy Jr. noted that in 10 states where both Trump and his rival Kamala Harris have a chance of winning, he will withdraw his candidacy so as not to take votes away from the Republican candidate.
During the week, the US media wrote that Kennedy might announce his withdrawal from the race in the near future.
On Tuesday, Trump told CNN that if he wins, he may give Kennedy a position in his administration if he refuses to run and supports the Republicans.
In April 2023, JFK Jr. announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential primary. However, he later stated that he would run as an independent candidate.
In recent months, American media have noted that Kennedy would not have a serious chance of winning if he ran. However, in a number of states, he could have taken a significant number of votes from other candidates and thus influenced the election results.
Robert Kennedy Jr, 70, is an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccination activist. He is the son of former New York Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the nephew of the 35th President John F. Kennedy.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analytical material on the most important elections in the world in 2024, a detailed video analysis is available here – https://youtu.be/73DB0GbJy4M?si=eGb95W02MgF6KzXU
Energy imports, forecast, bln dollars
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
Pharmacy sales in Ukraine in January-July 2024 increased by 13.15% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2023 – up to UAH 110.117 billion, while in physical terms it decreased by 4.25% – to 676.9 million packages, Business Credit reported to Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the company’s research, the weighted average price of pharmacy basket items during this period was UAH 162.68, which is 18.18% more than in January-July 2023.
At the same time, pharmacy sales of medicines for the reporting 7 months of 2014 increased by 13.24% compared to the same period in 2023 – to UAH 86.296 billion, but in physical terms decreased by 4.7% – to 473.269 million packs. The weighted average retail price of medicines amounted to UAH 182.34 per unit (+18.82%).
According to Business Credit, in monetary terms, sales of disinfectants demonstrated the highest dynamics in January-July. In monetary terms, their pharmacy sales grew by 21.47% compared to the same period last year to almost UAH 16.855 million, but decreased in physical terms by 7.58% to 155.738 thousand packs. The weighted average price in this segment amounted to UAH 108.23 (+31.44%) over seven months.
Sales of dietary supplements through pharmacy chains in January-July 2024 increased by 16.2% in monetary terms to UAH 11.367 billion, but decreased by 1.3% in physical terms to 57.421 million packs. The weighted average price in this segment increased by 18.73% to UAH 197.97 per unit.
As reported, pharmacy sales in Ukraine in the first half of 2024 increased by 12.67% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2023 – to UAH 94.784 billion, while in physical terms it decreased by 4.7% to 583.21 million packs.
The weighted average price of pharmacy basket products for this period amounted to UAH 162.52 (+18.25%).
At the same time, sales of medicinal products in pharmacy retail in the first half of this year amounted to UAH 74.258 billion (+12.68%), but in physical terms decreased by 5.13% to 408.796 million packs. The weighted average retail price of medicines in this reporting period amounted to UAH 181.65 per unit (+18.67%).
In 2023, pharmacy sales in Ukraine increased by almost 21.67% in monetary terms compared to 2022, to UAH 174.249 billion, while in physical terms they decreased by 4.76%, to 1.218 billion packs.
Smart Energy Group has launched wells at the Vasyschyvske field (Kharkiv region), according to a press release on Thursday.
“After unblocking the special production permits, it took us only a month to get the first company (Prom-Energo Product LLC – IF-U) back to work,” said Oleksiy Zayats, acting CEO of Smart Energy.
According to him, in order to comply with the laws, rules and regulations of the oil and gas industry, the company has carried out coordination procedures at all levels, diagnosed the equipment involved, as well as purchased new equipment, assembled a team and established its work.
“We will continue to invest in the development of gas production. The group is currently looking for opportunities to resume long-term development programs, which includes continuing the drilling program, building new infrastructure and modernizing existing equipment,” he added.
According to the press service, the day before the shutdown, the daily production of the group’s companies in Kharkiv region was about 450 thousand cubic meters. Due to the prolonged shutdown, well productivity decreased.
In particular, at the first stage of the Vasyschyvske field, production rates are 25 thousand cubic meters per day, which is half the level before the shutdown. In addition, in October 2023, the Russian aggressor attacked one of Ukrgasvydobuvannya’s gas production facilities, which resulted in significant damage to the equipment of the gas treatment unit.
“Now it will take time and investment to restore it,” Smart Energy summarized.
As reported, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine renewed three special production and development licenses in accordance with Order No. 293 of June 26, 2024: the Ostroverkhivske field of PJSC Ukrgasvydobutok, the Vasyshivske field of Prom-Energo Product LLC (both in Kharkiv region) and the Svystunkivsko-Chervonolutske field (Poltava region) of Arkona Gas-Energy LLC.
The renewal of these licenses became possible after the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) amended its decision on personal sanctions against Vadym Novynskyi on December 1, 2022, on June 24, 2024.
The State Service of Geology and Subsoil suspended these three special permits in early May 2023, and Smart Energy estimated the daily downtime of the fields at 0.45 million cubic meters of gas and the loss of UAH 5.5 million in taxes.
Smart Energy Group is part of the Smart Holding investment group, implements projects for the exploration and commercial development of hydrocarbon fields and was one of the five largest private gas producers in Ukraine, producing more than one million cubic meters of gas per day at the beginning of the full-scale Russian military aggression.
Prior to the full-scale invasion, the hydrocarbon reserves of Smart Energy Group’s gas production assets were estimated at C1+C2 categories in the amount of 22.633 billion cubic meters of gas and 3.722 million tons of condensate.
Smart Energy’s oil and gas business is represented by Ukrgasvydobutok and Enwell Energy, a publicly traded British company.
For its part, Enwell Energy owns Regal Petroleum Corporation Limited and Arkona Gas-Energy in Poltava region, and Prom-Energo Product in Kharkiv region.
