OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2015. There were "no surprises" in Czech electricity utility CEZ's 2014 earnings and figures for 2015 will be similar to last year, Chief Executive Daniel Benes was cited as saying in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

CEZ has forecast 2014 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) would drop to 72 billion crowns (\\$2.97 billion), from 82 billion in 2013. Adjusted net profit was seen at 29.0 billion crowns, falling from 38.2 billion.

"We... think that figures this year will be very similar to those in 2014," Benes said. The company, central Europe's largest utility, is due to release its fourth-quarter 2014 results on March 3.

Benes also reiterated CEZ's interest in Swedish group Vattenfall's hydro power plants in Germany, assets the WSJ reported could be included in the already announced sale of lignite power plants.