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Deutsche Telekom May Increase OTE Stake Over 40%
First Published Wednesday, 1 June 2011 12:08 pm - © 2011 Dow Jones
FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE.XE) may increase its stake in Greece's Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (HTO.AT), or OTE, to more than 40%, Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann said Wednesday.
The German telecommunications company will act according to the agreements it reached with Greece when it initially invested in OTE in 2008, Obermann told journalists at an event in Cologne. "Everything else remains to be seen" and would then also depend on the conditions, he said.
Deutsche Telekom holds 30% in OTE, while Greece has 20%. Under a put option, Greece can transfer a 10% OTE holding to Deutsche Telekom by the end of 2011. Such a transaction is widely expected to take place soon, as Greece is facing pressure to reduce its debt burden. Deutsche Telekom also has a right of first refusal for Greece's remaining 10% stake.
OTE last month said first-quarter net profit fell a worse-than-expected 54% on weak sales and a special charge related to planned staff cuts, and warned that revenue would continue to be hurt by difficult economic conditions in countries where it operates and regulatory obstacles in debt-laden Greece. OTE has operations including Romania and Bulgaria as well as its home market.
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Corporate/Privatizzazioni.
First Published Wednesday, 1 June 2011 12:08 pm - © 2011 Dow Jones
FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE.XE) may increase its stake in Greece's Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (HTO.AT), or OTE, to more than 40%, Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann said Wednesday.
The German telecommunications company will act according to the agreements it reached with Greece when it initially invested in OTE in 2008, Obermann told journalists at an event in Cologne. "Everything else remains to be seen" and would then also depend on the conditions, he said.
Deutsche Telekom holds 30% in OTE, while Greece has 20%. Under a put option, Greece can transfer a 10% OTE holding to Deutsche Telekom by the end of 2011. Such a transaction is widely expected to take place soon, as Greece is facing pressure to reduce its debt burden. Deutsche Telekom also has a right of first refusal for Greece's remaining 10% stake.
OTE last month said first-quarter net profit fell a worse-than-expected 54% on weak sales and a special charge related to planned staff cuts, and warned that revenue would continue to be hurt by difficult economic conditions in countries where it operates and regulatory obstacles in debt-laden Greece. OTE has operations including Romania and Bulgaria as well as its home market.
***
Corporate/Privatizzazioni.