By Charlotte Reid 
Iberdrola, Aena and Ebro Foods: three compasses for navigating the market.
The stock market is a capricious ocean: sometimes it is calm, and other times it stirs up unexpected storms. In this scenario, choosing the right course is vital for any investor.
Aena
- €22,690
- -0.66%
Ebro Foods
- €17,800
- -1.11%
Iberdrola
- €16,230
- 0.28%
Analyst Sergio Ávila, from IG, focuses on three Spanish companies that, for different reasons, represent bets with their own compass: Iberdrola, Aena and Ebro Foods.
IBERDROLA: A LONG-TERM ENERGY OFFENSIVE
Spanish electricity company Iberdrola has rolled out a plan that could be read as a declaration of intent: more investment, more profit and more dividends. Its horizon extends to 2028, with a clear objective: to triple its electricity network infrastructure and consolidate its position as a leader in the energy transition.
According to Ávila, ‘Iberdrola is not only seeking to grow, but also to secure its future in regulated markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where the rules of the game favour expansion’. To finance this ambitious leap, the company has resorted to a million-pound capital increase, a move that conveys confidence and determination.
The appeal for investors lies in the visibility of income and a dividend that promises to continue rising. As the aforementioned expert summarises, ‘it is a long-term move, with solid fundamentals for those seeking stability without sacrificing growth’.
AENA: BETWEEN TARIFFS AND POLITICAL TURBULENCE
Airport operator Aena is operating in a more delicate environment: it needs to balance its accounts amid political pressure to freeze tariffs. But the reality is clear: its investment plan for the period 2027-2031 amounts to around €13 billion.
Ávila describes it clearly: ‘without a price review, Aena will not have enough fuel to finance the modernisation of airports’. The fact is that air traffic continues to grow, forcing capacity to be expanded, technology to be improved and service quality to be reinforced.
Despite short-term uncertainty due to political noise, the outlook is favourable. The ‘self-sustaining airport’ model, with diversified revenues and a focus on the traveller experience, could give wings to the share price in the next expansionary cycle.
EBRO FOODS: FROM RICE TO READY MEALS
The third bet is in the food sector. Ebro Foods, a leader in rice and pasta, is preparing for a strategic leap: to enter the ready-made meals segment with force. The logic is clear: higher margins, growing demand and less pressure from private labels.
The analyst sums it up as follows: ‘Ebro is at a turning point; its diversification into new products could give it a competitive advantage in emerging and mature markets’. Although it has not yet finalised any acquisitions, the company is studying opportunities in Africa and the Middle East.
The strategy combines organic growth with an appetite for selective purchases, all backed by solid cost management and a track record of innovation. For investors, this is a defensive option, but one with potential, especially if the expansion into ready meals is consolidated.
LESSONS FOR INVESTORS
The three stocks portray different but complementary scenarios:
* Iberdrola represents the security of a regulated, long-term strategy.
* Aena embodies the tension between politics and the need for modernisation.
* Ebro Foods is committed to reinventing itself in a sector as everyday as it is strategic: food.
As Ávila concludes, ‘the smart investor knows that diversification is not a whim, but a lifeline’.
CONCLUSION: THREE PATHS, ONE DESTINATION
The IG report is not just a review of three Spanish listed companies; it is also an invitation to reflect on how companies adapt to change. Energy, infrastructure and food: three different paths that converge on the same idea, the search for sustainable growth in an uncertain world.
In the words of the expert himself, ‘the market rewards those who know how to look beyond the storm’. And perhaps that is the key: investing today with an eye on a future that, despite the turbulence, continues to offer safe havens for those who know how to read the tides.