Mobistar H1 2013 results

Faced with the evolution of the mobile market, Mobistar adjusts its forecasts for 2013 and adopts an offensive position Brussels, 22 July 2013 - Today, Mobistar (Euronext Brussels: MOBB) publishes its results for the first half year of 2013. It was primarily during the course of the second quarter that the results were penalised by the decrease in prices on the mobile telephony market...

Faced with the evolution of the mobile market, Mobistar adjusts its forecasts for 2013 and adopts an offensive position

 

 

Brussels, 22 July 2013 - Today, Mobistar (Euronext Brussels: MOBB) publishes its results for the first half year of 2013. It was primarily during the course of the second quarter that the results were penalised by the decrease in prices on the mobile telephony market. The implementation of the new telecom law and the duopolistic situation of the fixed operators led to an accelerated price decrease of 20 % of the market price for mobile telephony during the last 12 months (Study BIPT).

 

At the end of the 1^st semester of 2013:

 

·         The total number of customers on the Mobistar network increased by 6.2 %, largely due to the success of the MVNO strategy.

·         The regulations on mobile termination and roaming rates had a negative impact of 31.1 million euros on the group s total consolidated turnover.

·         The Mobistar group recorded a total consolidated turnover of 757 million euros, a decline of 5.7 % compared to the previous year. Without regulatory impact the total consolidated turnover would have recorded 788 million euros, or a decline of 1.8 %.

·         The usage of mobile data has tripled in one year. The part of the mobile data in the service revenues amounted 46.9 %.

·         The EBITDA worsened by 68.8 million euros, declining 27.6 %. Without the regulatory and non-recurrent effects the EBITDA would have diminished by 32.3 million euros over the same period, a decline of 13.9 %.

·         The efficiency programme ACE1, launched in 2012, made it possible to attenuate the EBITDA decrease by 14 million euros in the first semester 2013.

·         The investments made amounted to 68.9 million euros for the first six months of 2013, an increase of 10.1 % compared to the previous year.

 

The reduction in profitability during the course of the second quarter of 2013 and the negative forecasts for the second half of 2013 have compelled Mobistar to revise its forecasts for the 2013 financial year downward as follows:

• a decrease in total turnover of maximum 12 %;
• an EBITDA^[1] of minimum 300 million euros;
• an operational cash-flow of minimum 100 million euros.

 

As a result of this revision, the Board of Directors will propose its shareholders to suspend the dividend payment for the 2013 financial year. Mobistar took this decision in order to protect the investments in the quality of its network and the customer service in conformity with the transformation plan 2013-2015. In the actual market context and with the support of the future expected results of the structural savings programme ACE2, Mobistar aims to stabilize his EBITDA^[1] in 2014.

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