Parcel locker company InPost sees higher earnings in 2025

(Reuters) -Parcel locker company InPost on Friday flagged that earnings in 2025 would be higher than expected after fourth-quarter results beat forecasts, helped by higher volumes and an improving performance abroad.

The company operates one of the biggest networks in Europe of pick-up, drop-off points and automated lockers, dubbed automated parcel machines, or APMs, that allow customers to collect or drop off packages when it suits them.

It has built a dominant position in Poland, while also gaining traction abroad, with growing volumes and improving margins in key international markets, France and the UK.

Founder and CEO Rafal Brzoska told reporters that international markets were becoming the company's key drivers, and that Poland will weigh less in its overall strategy. The company's shares fell 13% in a single day earlier this month after its major customer Allegro announced plans to roll out more of its own lockers.

The stock was down 3% at 1008 GMT in choppy trade on Friday.

mBank analyst Pawel Szpigiel said one of the reasons for the drop was fears about Allegro's attempts to become less dependent on InPost.

InPost's adjusted EBITDA rose 35.7% to 1.15 billion zlotys ($296.5 million) in the fourth quarter, beating analysts' consensus of 1.06 billion zlotys.

The company said it expects its revenue to grow in the high-teens to low-twenties percentage range in 2025. It sees adjusted EBITDA increasing in the low-to-mid twenties range, topping the 17.5% growth to 4.29 billion zlotys expected by analysts.

When asked about interest in acquiring its to-door delivery partner Yodel, Brzoska said InPost would look at every possible opportunity in Europe that would allow it to build more scale.

"If this process materialises, we will not hesitate to inform the public," he said.

He said the company was testing door-to-door deliveries in France and Italy and that while it was looking at potential M&A, organic growth was a priority.

InPost said it plans to roll out more than 14,000 APMs this year across its markets.

($1 = 3.8787 zlotys)

(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Sonali Paul and Jane Merriman)