Mobile and Pay TV push Dialog profits up

5 August 2013 03:21 am

Dialog Axiata PLC, a unit of Malaysia’s Axiata group, posted a net profit of Rs.950.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 (2Q13) against Rs.879.5 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, boosted by higher revenues across Mobile and Pay TV segments.

Group revenue during the quarter crossed Rs.15.6 billion, surpassing a previous Rs.14.1 billion in 2012, while net finance costs declined from Rs.1.02 billion to Rs.902.7 million.

Meanwhile, over the first half of this year (1H13), group profits were posted at Rs.2.54 billion, up from a previous Rs.348.5 million.

The firm said it was hit by an Rs.856 loss on foreign exchange loans but it received a Rs.429 million Telecom Development Charge refund from the regulator.

Revenue from mobile operations grew by 13 percent year-onyear (YoY) to Rs.27.1 billion during 1H13, while fixed broadband and television operations posted turnovers of Rs.2.9 billion and Rs.1.72 billion, respectively.

However, earnings before taxes in the Pay TV segment contracted 23 percent YoY to Rs.298 million during the half, as a result of costs related to the enhancement of services, including High-definition services.

Notably, Dialog’s Pay TV subscriber base grew by over 49,000 subscribers YoY to be recorded at 288,000 total subscribers at the end of Q213.

Meanwhile, the group’s Internet segment recorded a loss after tax of Rs.97 million, cutting down on last year’s Rs.186 million loss.

Earnings per share remained relatively flat at Rs.0.119 as compared with Rs.0.110 per share in the previous year.