Jerónimo Martins, SGPS, S.A. (ENXTLS:JMT) will look for acquisition. Ana Luisa Virginia, Chief Financial Officer said "I think that even having paying, for instance, now the remaining -- the amount that we had retained somehow, if we can say it like that, in the beginning of the pandemic, when there was even lower visibility than now, and we didn't know how things would progress, so we retained a part of the dividends. We are going to pay now. But even after this payment, we think that we have the flexibility, even for a big acquisition. So it will not be a question of finance resources. And even for the next years, we will maintain our dividend policy, and we don't have any reason not to think that the dividend policy will change. I think that we'll -- we continue to have finance capability to do an acquisition as we expect".
Jerónimo Martins, SGPS, S.A. is a Group that holds assets in the food sector, mostly in distribution, with market leadership positions in Poland and Portugal. In 2023, the Group recorded sales of 30.6 billion euros and an EBITDA of 2.2 billion euros. The Group had a total of 134,379 employees and ended 2023 with a market capitalisation of 14.5 billion euros on the Euronext Lisbon stock exchange.
In Poland, Biedronka, representing 70% of Group sales and 85% of its EBITDA, is a chain of food stores and the undisputed leader in food retail and in 2023 it continued to increase its market share. Also in Poland, Hebe focuses on the specialised retail of health and beauty products, managing a considerable assortment of products at competitive prices and an in-store consultation service. At the end of 2023 Hebe opened two stores in Czechia, aimed at putting a face to the brand's presence in this country, where growth will be driven through e-commerce.
In Portugal, the Group has a leadership position in food distribution. It operates the banners Pingo Doce and Recheio, which are market leaders in the supermarket and cash & carry formats, respectively. Pingo Doce is a supermarket chain that has a restaurant area in most of its stores. It has two central kitchens that supply not only these restaurants, but also its in-store takeaway operation. Recheio operates a chain of cash & carry stores and has strengthened its business model with a specialised food service operation, underpinned by dedicated platforms, which essentially serve HoReCa customers with a delivery service. Recheio continues also to expand a network of traditional retail partners under the Amanhecer banner. Jerónimo Martins Agro-Alimentar currently operates in four distinct areas: dairy, livestock farming, aquaculture, and fruit and vegetables. The Group also operates two specialised chains, the Jeronymo coffee shops and kiosks and the Hussel chocolate and confectionery chain.
In Colombia, Ara is a chain of proximity food stores, mostly set up in residential neighbourhoods, offering quality at the best price and combining competitiveness with promotional opportunities in key categories for the Colombian consumer. Also in Colombia, Bodega del Canasto operates as a mini cash & carry, aiming for the traditional market (B2B), offering customised Private Brands and industry brands solution.
JERÓNIMO MARTINS, SGPS, S.A. 
