Page 20 - bne_Tech_04_2019

Telecom
April 2019 www.intellinews.com I Page 20
MegaFon reported 2.6% year-on-year revenue growth of RUB76.5bn ($1.2bn) in the first quarter of 2018, with adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortisation (Oibda) gaining 5.3% y/y to RUB30.6bn, The Oibda margin was up by 2.7pp y/y to 39.2%, and net profit grew by 45.5% y/y to RUB5.6bn due to more moderate foreign currency losses.
Revenue from Russia accounted for 98.6% of MegaFon's revenues in the reporting quarter,
in line with the domestic market recovery trend also seen previously in its rivals with greater international reach. VEON (formerly VimpelCom) reported first-quarter revenues of $2.3bn, and MTS revenues of $1.76bn, both posting strong results on the key Russian market.
Russian mobile phone company MTS' earnings up by a third in 4Q18, outlook for 2019 good
IntelliNews Pro
Russia’s leading mobile phone company Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) reported earnings up by
a third (34%) y/y in the fourth quarter of 2018 and management guided for more growth in 2019, the company said on February 28.
“The results came in line with consensus on rev- enue and Ebitda (if adj. for UMA consolidation), and the company delivered on its FY 2018 guidance. Expectations for 2019 look good, with our forecasts (and Bloomberg consensus) falling in the middle of the guided range for revenues and Ebitda (excl IFRS 16 impact),” BCS Global Markets said in a note.
MTS’s top line was RUB23.4bn ($355mn), which was up 34% over a year previously and Ebitda up 42% to RUB8.7bn with a 37% margin.
The key growth drivers included ad revenue, which was up 38%, and games revenue, up 37%, with the top performing title Hustle Castle.
Also contributing to the profits was MTS’s subsidiary social media site Vkontakte (VK) which saw revenues grow by 27% and an Ebitda margin of 18%.