DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates telecommunications company, Etisalat, posted net profit 47 percent to Dh2.14 billion ($582.7 million) in fourth quarter of 2014.
This compares with a profit of 1.45 billion dirhams in the year-earlier period and its purchase of a majority stake in Maroc Telecom and lower taxes and impairment charges boosted its bottom line, although it missed analysts’ forecasts.
Three analysts polled, on average forecast Etisalat, the Gulf’s second biggest telecommunications operator by market value, would make a quarterly profit of Dh2.43 billion.
Etisalat made an annual net profit of Dh8.89 billion in 2014, up from Dh7.08 billion a year earlier.
It paid Dh5.33 billion in royalties – or tax – to the UAE federal government last year. That compares with royalties of Dh6.12 in 2013.
The company attributed its increased profit to higher earnings before tax, interest depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), plus lower taxes and impairment charges.
Weighing on its bottom were higher depreciation and amortisation expenses, lower earnings from associates, higher finance costs and foreign exchange losses.
Full-year revenue was 48.77 billion, up 26 percent on 2013, and of which 27.1 billion was from the UAE.
Fourth-quarter revenue climbed 33 per cent to Dh13.04 billion; 7 billion was generated domestically.
Etisalat’s total subscriber rose 14 per cent year-on-year to 169 million, mainly due to its acquisition of Marc Telecom, which contributed about 40 million subscribers.
The company’s Saudi Arabia affiliate Mobily in November cut previously announced profits for 2013 and the first half of last year and then reported a full-year loss for 2014 when its audited results were announced on Wednesday. It originally said it made a small profit in 2014.
Etisalat described the “resulting impact” from Mobily as “immaterial” in its earnings statement.
The company proposed to pay a Dh0.35 per share cash dividend for the second half of 2014, matching its dividend for the year-ago period.
For all of 2014, its dividend will be Dh0.70 per share and 10 percent in bonus shares.
Etisalat also proposed upping its share capital to 10 billion dirhams from 8 billion dirhams. It did not state how it would achieve this and it is unclear if this includes the bonus share issue.
