David McIntyre in Sydney | August 12, 2008
update SINGAPORE Telecommunications's first quarter profit fell 5.3 per cent as earnings from regional mobile carriers was hit by a rising Singapore dollar.
Shares in SingTel fell two per cent after the company said earnings were flat at its two biggest units, as marketing expenses increased in Singapore and its Australian unit Optus took depreciation charges and mobile customer growth added costs.SingTel, South-east Asia's biggest telecommunications company, said profit fell to S$878 million ($701 million) in the three months to June, compared with S$927 million in the first quarter the year before.
Optus reported net profit of $122 million for the first quarter, little changed from the prior corresponding period, as the Sydney-based division took charges for depreciation in networks and new offices, while customer growth, particularly for mobile broadband, caused acquisition and service costs to rise.
The appreciation in the Singapore dollar depressed the actual profit received from SingTel's part-owned six regional mobile carriers, which fell six per cent to S$435 million.
SingTel has stakes in mobile operators in India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The Singapore business's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was little changed at S$508 million as expenses grew for mobile subscriber acquisition, promotion and content for SingTel's internet-based television product, offsetting revenue growth.
Net profit at the Singapore division combined with the regional carriers fell 6.8 per cent to S$720 million.
The stock declined six cents, or 2.1 per cent, to $2.80 as of 1124 AEST and earlier fell to $2.70. SingTel shares closed at $2.63 on July 16, the stock's lowest level since August 2007.
SingTel reaffirmed guidance given in May that revenue at its divisions in Singapore and Australia would grow at sigle-digit level in the year to March 2009.
The actual pre-tax profit of its regional carriers would grow at low-double digits but their contribution to SingTel's total earnings may be lower because of the appreciating Singapore dollar.
SingTel's operating revenue increased 5.9 per cent to S$3.78 billion, driven by the growth in data and information technology (IT) business in Singapore and Optus's mobile and fixed on-net business, the company said.
"In Singapore, we held our leadership position and in the mobile market we continued to gain market share," chief executive Chua Sock Koong said in the statement.
"Likewise in Australia, we continued to win new customers."
Optus's operating revenue grew 3.1 per cent to $1.96 billion.
The division's EBITDA increased 2.7 per cent and the margin was steady around 25.3 per cent, while free cash flow grew 15 per cent to $117 million.
"Our mobile-led attack on the market continues," Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan said in a statement.
Optus Mobile's revenue grew six per cent to $1.11 billion, despite the 25 per cent decline in mobile termination rates, and the company said it continued to lead in the prepaid segment. EBITDA fell 6.6 per cent on increased costs.
Optus added 101,000 new mobile subscribers during the quarter, for a total 7.24 million.
Optus's business and wholesale division increased market share and lifted revenue by 6.7 per cent as the company focused on internet-based voice and data services.
The Australian consumer business's EBITDA grew by 72 per cent to $60 million, even as revenue fell 9.6 per cent, as the company continued to exit less profitable fixed-line resale products.
AAP