Dialog Axiata PLC’s group net profit rose 62 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs.9.2 billion in the September quarter, as data and home broadband drove the revenue growth, though the reported earnings fell 9 percent from the previous quarter, amid the unrealised foreign exchange losses.
Excluding those losses, the underlying net profit rose 67 percent from a year earlier and 6 percent from the previous quarter to Rs.10.2 billion, the telecom operator said in its earnings release on Tuesday.
The group revenue increased 6 percent YoY and one percent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.48.5 billion. The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 15 percent from a year earlier and one percent from the previous quarter to Rs.25.9 billion.
At company level, the quarterly net profit rose 41 percent YoY to Rs.6.4 billion, as the lower net finance costs more than offset the unrealised foreign exchange losses. Excluding the currency impact, the profit rose 50 percent to Rs.7.2 billion.
For the nine months ended September 30, the group net profit rose 92 percent to Rs.28.5 billion, helped by a higher EBITDA and lower net finance costs. The underlying net profit increased 82 percent to Rs.28.9 billion.
The nine-month revenue rose 8 percent to Rs.144.1 billion, with a growth across the mobile, fixed and digital pay television businesses. The EBITDA increased 20 percent to Rs.75.8 billion, while the EBITDA margin widened by 5.4 percentage points to 52.7 percent.
Dialog Broadband Networks’ nine-month profit rose 46 percent to Rs.6.1 billion, supported by a higher EBITDA and lower depreciation and net finance costs.
Dialog Television earned Rs.400 million over the period, as the revenue rose 13 percent to Rs.11 billion, helped by the higher advertising sales.
The group generated Rs.30.5 billion in operating free cash flow and spent Rs.27.4 billion on capital expenditure, equivalent to 19 percent of the revenue. It added more than 220 network sites during the period, taking its nationwide footprint to about 5,700 sites, including more than 1,050 live 5G sites.
Dialog’s board approved a third interim dividend of 70 cents per share, taking the total interim dividends for 2026 to Rs.2.10 per share.
