Unidentified Shareholder's questions to Vermilion Energy Inc (VET) leadership • Q1 2024
Question
An unidentified shareholder asked about Germany's pragmatic approach to natural gas and why Vermilion's strong fundamental improvements, such as debt reduction, have not translated into better stock performance.
Answer
President and CEO Anthony Hatcher explained that Germany remains pragmatic about its need for gas. He attributed the stock's performance lag to past headwinds, including the now-expired European windfall tax and the Australian unit's previous downtime, which is now resolved. Hatcher expressed confidence that the company's strong fundamentals and new 50% capital return framework, including significant buybacks, will be recognized by the market over time.