KPN ha diffuso la propria trimestrale Q2/2009 qualche giorno fa. Un commento della DJN ripreso dal WSJ riporta l'essenziale.
C'è una debolezza nel fatturato, che vede un calo nel trimestre del 7% y-o-y, e che ha portato la società a rivedere al ribasso le stime di fatturato per il 2009 ed il 2010, con una riduzione stimata fra il 2 ed il 3% rispetto al 2008, contro precedente forecast di un andamento piatto nel 2009 ed in leggero aumento nel 2010.
Invariato invece l'outlook su EBITDA e FCF.
Il problema è la riduzione di fatturato della clientela corporate, mentre la clientela consumer non dà segnali problematici, almeno ad oggi. La società ha potenziale per incrementare i tagli del personale rispetto a quanto previsto nel 2008, ma ha dichiarato di ritenere ulteriori misure in tal senso non necessarie al momento.
KPN ha variato misure di riduzione dei costi che hanno generato un incremento del 4,8% dell'utile netto nel trimestre, ed una risalita dell'EBITDA margin sia sul mercato domestico olandese, sia su quello tedesco, in cui E-Plus ha visto un leggero calod el fatturato da vendite (-1,4%), ma un EBITDA margin in risalita dal 38,1% al 41,8%.
In crescita anche il dividendo interim semestrale, del 15% sullo scorso anno.
- JULY 23, 2009, 8:59 A.M. ET
2nd UPDATE: KPN Lowers FY Revenue Guidance, 2Q Net Rises
(Adds comment.)
By Archibald Preuschat
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--Dutch telecommunications company Royal KPN NV (KPN.AE) Thursday lowered its revenue guidance for the full year and for 2010 as the economic downturn hit demand from businesses and revenue from German mobile operations declined for the first time in years, but it reported a 4.8% rise in second quarter net profit on cost cutting.
"We continue to see limited impact on consumer markets, but business markets are being impacted and there are no signs of economic recovery as yet," Chief Executive Ad Scheepbouwer said in a statement.
KPN already lowered its revenue guidance in the first quarter, but Scheepbouwer said at a press conference that there are no new plans for further restructuring, though he said there is potential for further cost cutting as 20% of its staff are temporary employees. KPN said in 2008 it will cut 4,500 jobs from 2008 to 2010.
KPN reported a day after Sweden's Tele2 AB (TEL2-B.SK) kicked off the telecoms earnings season with a stronger-than-expected second-quarter net profit as cost cutting started to have a positive effect. Norway's Telenor also reported Thursday, cutting its outlook for capital expenditure in line with the wider sector, as many operators trim costs to preserve cashflow amid the downturn, regulatory pressure on pricing and stiffening competition.
KPN kept its capex outlook, but lowered its operating expenditure by 11% in the second quarter compared with a year ago.
KPN said it now expects both 2009 and 2010 revenue to be in a range between EUR13.6 billion and EUR13.8 billion, having previously guided for 2009 sales to be in line with the EUR14 billion posted in 2008 and for a slight revenue increase in 2010.
Still, the company kept its outlook for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda and for cash flow.
Revenue declined 6.9% to EUR3.41 billion, from EUR3.66 billion. At iBasis, which provides wholesale voice over IP services outside the Netherlands, revenue fell 24%.
"iBasis' revenue performance was disappointing," Scheepbouwer said. Revenue from KPN's Dutch business customers fell 1.3%, while domestic wholesale revenue fell 5.6%. Real estate sales were also lower than expected.
Still, KPN expects to make "meaningful steps" in 2009 towards its 2010 Ebitda target of more than EUR5.5 billion. Free cashflow should came in at around EUR2.4 billion and is expected to exceed this in 2010. KPN's 2008 Ebitda was EUR5 billion and free cash flow EUR2.6 billion.
Margins in the Netherlands, in particular, were strong, said a Petercam analyst who has an add rating on the stock. However, in addition to the problems with its corporate business, KPN now also faces slowing growth in Germany, said Wolfgang Specht at Sal. Oppenheim in Frankfurt.
KPN's E-Plus, No. 3 of the four German mobile providers in terms of revenue and customers, posted a 1.4% revenue decline in the second quarter, despite an improved Ebitda margin to 41.8% from 38.1% a the ago. Specht rates KPN reduce with a fair value of EUR9.
At 1245 GMT, KPN traded down 2.7% at EUR9.87, underperforming a slightly lower Amsterdam market.
Net profit was EUR370 million for the quarter ended June 30, up from EUR353 million a year ago.
Ebitda for the second quarter came in at EUR1.32 billion, up from EUR1.27 billion a year earlier. KPN posted Ebitda margin improvement compared to the corresponding quarter the prior year also in its Dutch operations.
KPN also said it will pay an interim dividend of EUR0.23 a share, a 15% rise.