ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPOPRT)
In the fourth quarter of 2013, Telenor Group reported revenues of NOK 28 billion, representing an organic revenue growth of 1%. EBITDA before other items was NOK 8.99 billion, the EBITDA margin was 32.6%, and operating cash flow was NOK 4.42 billion.
“During 2013, Telenor Group increased or maintained its market share in key markets. For the fourth quarter, Telenor Group reports organic revenue growth of 1 percent, in line with the company’s growth rate for the full year. The EBITDA margin for 2013 was 34.5 percent, a two percentage point improvement from the previous year. Revenue growth combined with the margin improvement, resulted in a record-high EBITDA of NOK 36 billion for the year,’’ said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group.
“During the year, we added 17 million subscribers, of which 5 million alone in the final three months. This growth was mainly driven by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These countries still represent a significant potential for further growth,’’ said Baksaas.
“In Thailand, I am pleased to see that the migration of customers to our new 3G network is progressing well. In addition, solid underlying service revenue growth from data in our Thai operation is noticeable. In Malaysia, DiGi’s ability to offer relevant data services sets an excellent example for how data can drive growth and profitability. With Grameenphone’s launch of 3G services, we have leaped toward providing affordable data services to our customers in Bangladesh. Political and regulatory challenges continue to impact several of our Asian markets,’’ said Baksaas.
“The telecommunications industry continues to progress rapidly and plays an increasingly important role in people’s everyday lives. As the world goes digital, Telenor Group is strategically managing the transition from voice to data and we will continue to focus on our Internet for All ambition, an initiative to connect the unconnected in all our markets. We are now getting started in our new market Myanmar, a nation of 60 million people and vast untapped growth potential. After signing the licence agreement last month, we will leverage on our regional experience and aim to provide accessible and affordable mobile communications to people across the country,’’ said Baksaas.
“In India, our operating model resulted in solid trends in the second half of the year. Strong subscriber growth and increased revenue per customer resulted in an organic sales growth of 36 percent in the fourth quarter. We are now taking a lead challenger position in the six circles we are present,’’ said Baksaas.
“In Norway, we are gaining subscribers and see increasing demand for larger data packages, resulting in an improved sales mix. At the end of the year, we secured new spectrum, which will enable Telenor to offer superior nation-wide 4G services within the next two years. While macro-economic pressure continued in Eastern Europe during the quarter, we see solid trends in Sweden and in our Broadcast division,’’ said Baksaas.
Dividend and Outlook
“Based on the performance in 2013, the Board proposes a dividend per share of NOK 7.00 for 2013, a 17 percent increase from 2012 and equivalent to a pay-out of 73 percent of normalised net income. The financial outlook for 2014, excluding our start-up operation in Myanmar, is low single digit organic revenue growth, a stable EBITDA margin and a capex to sales ratio of around 16 percent,’’ said Baksaas.
Key figures
The table below contains key figures for the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to the previous year.
| 4Q | 4Q | Year | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (NOK in millions except earnings per share) | 2013 | 2012 (Restated) |
2013 | 2012 (Restated) |
| Revenues | 27 611 | 25 990 | 104 027 | 101 718 |
| EBITDA before other income and expenses | 8 993 | 8 203 | 35 892 | 32 848 |
| EBITDA margin before other income and expenses (%) | 32.6 | 31.6 | 34.5 | 32.3 |
| Adjusted operating profit[1] | 5 429 | 4 523 | 22 161 | 18 446 |
| Adjusted operating profit/Revenues (%) | 19.7 | 17.4 | 21.3 | 18.1 |
| Profit after taxes and non-controlling interests | 2 430 | 2 508 | 13 197 | 8 809 |
| Earnings per share from total operations, basic, in NOK | 1.61 | 1.62 | 8.66 | 5.63 |
| Capex | 5 104 | 10 371 | 17 044 | 21 511 |
| Capex excl. licences and spectrum | 4 577 | 3 571 | 14 659 | 12 299 |
| Capex excl. licences and spectrum/Revenues (%) | 16.6 | 13.7 | 14.1 | 12.1 |
| Operating cash flow [2] | 4 416 | 4 633 | 21 233 | 20 549 |
| Net interest-bearing liabilities [3] | 39 395 | 33 082 |
[1]Adjusted operating profit is defined as Operating profit less other income and expenses and impairment losses.
[2]Operating cash flow is defined as EBITDA before other income and expenses – Capex, excluding licences and spectrum
[3]Net interest-bearing liabilities is defined as net interest-bearing debt excluding net present value of licence liabilities.
For more information please refer to the quarterly report at http://www.telenor.com/investors/reports/2013/telenors-results-for-the-4th-quarter-2013/