Chat Profits

Feb 18, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, which has interest in mobile, fixed telecom and pay television said group profits fell 30 percent to 928 million rupees in the December 2012 quarter from a year earlier, dragged down by write-offs. The group reported earnings of 12 cents per share for the quarter. For the year December earnings of 75 cents per share, on total profits of 6.
0 billion rupees, that grew 23 percent from a year earlier, accounts filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange showed.

In the December quarter revenues rose 25 percent to 14.
9 billion rupees, but expenses grew at a faster 32 percent to 8.6 billion rupees and gross margins grew at a slower 16.
5 percent to 6.3 billion rupees.

At the core mobile operation revenues rose 20 percent to 13.
1 billion rupees, expenses rose at a faster 26 percent to 7.3 billion rupees and gross profits rose 13 percent to 5.
8 billion rupees.

The firm said a 931 million rupee write down of old equipment was made in the December quarter.
The company has written down equipment before.

But finance income was a positive 228 million rupees against a 530 million rupee expense a year earlier.

Sri Lanka’s rupee which fell in the first half of 2012, started to appreciate during t