Orange Profit Up as European Telecoms Market Improves
February 23 2017 - 1:22AM
Dow Jones News
By William Horobin and Nick Kostov
PARIS--France's largest telecoms company Orange SA (ORA.FR) on
Thursday said it will raise its 2017 dividend as it reported a rise
in 2016 net profit, boosted by an acceleration in revenue growth at
the end of the year.
Net profit rose to 2.94 billion euros ($3.10 billion) in 2016
from EUR2.65 billion a year earlier, Orange said Thursday. Sales
rose to EUR40.92 billion from EUR40.24 billion, led by improvements
in Europe and particularly Spain at the end of the year.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization--a measure closely watched by analysts--rose 2.1% to
EUR12.68 billion, above the average analyst forecast of EUR12.65
billion.
"The confirmation of an improving trend allows us to consider a
redistribution of the value created," said Chief Executive Stephane
Richard.
Orange said it will propose a EUR0.65 a share dividend for 2017,
a five euro cent increase from 2016. The company said it targets an
increase in adjusted Ebitda in 2017.
Chief financial officer Ramon Fernandez said the rise in
earnings is the first since 2008. Orange has faced fierce
competition in many of its markets, particularly Europe, where
telecom companies are competing hard for market share by cutting
prices for mobile and broadband services. It failed in a bid to buy
Bouygues Telecom SA for about EUR10 billion last year, denying the
French market the consolidation that many telecoms executives have
been clamouring for.
Mr. Fernandez said France's telecoms companies remain in
contact, but not everyone is open to discussions on consolidation
in the sector.
"You can see from our results that we don't need consolidation.
But we've always said that the day it comes, and it will come one
day, [...] it will create value for everyone," Mr. Fernandez said.
"Nobody forbids themselves from thinking about it."
-Write to William Horobin at william.horobin@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 23, 2017 02:07 ET (07:07 GMT)
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