DGAP-Adhoc: United Internet AG: On completion of the first nine months, United Internet is confirming its EBITDA guidance 2020 and updating its sales growth guidance from approx. 4% to approx. 3%
DGAP-Ad-hoc: United Internet AG / Key word(s): 9 Month figures/Change in Forecast 9-month figures 2020 - Customer contracts: + 670,000 to 25.41 million - Sales: + 3.4% to EUR 3.985 billion; like-for-like adjusted sales + 3.8% - EBITDA: - 5.0% to EUR 896.4 million; like-for-like adjusted EBITDA + 4.8% - EBIT: - 7.8% to EUR 541.6 million; like-for-like adjusted EBIT + 8.0%
Consolidated sales grew by 3.4% in the first nine months of 2020, from EUR 3,855.0 million in the previous year to EUR 3,984.7 million. Sales growth was slowed by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. These effects had a particularly negative impact on the Consumer Access and Consumer Applications segments. There were opposing positive effects in the Business Access segment. Adjusted for these pandemic effects, like-for-like sales rose by 3.8% on the previous year. There was a significant 5.0% decline in consolidated EBITDA to EUR 896.4 million in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the prior-year figure (EUR 944.0 million). This decrease resulted from the Consumer Access segment. In this segment, Telefónica Germany presented 1&1 Drillisch AG with a price increase as of July 1, 2020 for network capacities within the framework of the MBA MVNO agreement. 1&1 Drillisch AG regards the invoiced wholesale prices as excessive and not in compliance with the voluntary commitments of Telefónica as part of the European Commission's clearance of its merger with E-Plus, as well as the MBA MVNO agreement. 1&1 Drillisch will take the necessary steps to safeguard its rights (including possible claims for damages) in order to seek a review of the unjustified portion of the invoiced price increase ("excessive MBA invoicing"). In addition to this excessive MBA invoicing, the earnings figures of 1&1 Drillisch were mainly burdened by initial costs for the construction of the 5G network as well as regulatory decisions. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic had a negative impact on key earnings figures ("special items"). Similarly influenced by excessive MBA invoicing and the special items, consolidated EBIT of EUR 541.6 million also fell well short of the prior-year figure (EUR 587.6 million). Adjusted for (i) extraordinary income in the previous year (EUR 21.5 million from the sale of shares in virtual minds), (ii) the excessive MBA invoicing, and (iii) the special items, like-for-like EBITDA for the first nine months of 2020 was 4.8% and like-for-like EBIT 8.0% above the respective prior-year figures. Earnings per share (EPS) for the first nine months fell from EUR 1.35 in the previous year to EUR 1.33. The prior-year EPS figure included positive extraordinary income from the sale of shares in virtual minds (EPS effect: EUR +0.11) as well as an opposing effect from non-cash impairment charges on Tele Columbus shares (EPS effect: EUR -0.15). Adjusted for these effects, operating EPS decreased by 4.3% from EUR 1.39 to EUR 1.33 and operating EPS before PPA amortization by 4.5% from EUR 1.76 to EUR 1.68.
As the sale of devices is a low-margin business - due to no or only low one-off payments by customers when they sign a contract or change tariffs and the refinancing of equipment costs via higher tariff prices - the update of sales growth guidance has no impact on the company's EBITDA forecast, which remains unchanged at EUR 1.180 billion. This forecast is still subject to uncertainty, as an exact assessment of the duration and further effects of the coronavirus pandemic is not currently possible and the outcome of the current negotiations with Telefónica cannot be predicted. An overview of all key figures for the first nine months is available at
05-Nov-2020 CET/CEST The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. |
Language: | English |
Company: | United Internet AG |
Elgendorfer Straße 57 | |
56410 Montabaur | |
Germany | |
Phone: | +49 (0)2602 / 96 - 1100 |
Fax: | +49 (0)2602 / 96 - 1013 |
E-mail: | [email protected] |
Internet: | www.united-internet.de |
ISIN: | DE0005089031 |
WKN: | 508903 |
Indices: | MDAX, TecDAX |
Listed: | Regulated Market in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange |
EQS News ID: | 1146023 |
End of Announcement | DGAP News Service |
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1146023 05-Nov-2020 CET/CEST
United Internet Stock
With 6 Buy predictions and not the single Sell prediction the community is currently very high on United Internet.
As a result the target price of 31 € shows a very positive potential of 62.56% compared to the current price of 19.07 € for United Internet.