19.01.2021
DGAP-News:Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG: Strategy Update - confirms successful start into growth era, highlighting grey spot sharing co-operations and enhanced dividend proposal
DGAP-News: Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG / Key word(s):
Dividend/Agreement
Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG: Strategy Update - confirms successful
start into growth era, highlighting grey spot sharing co-operations and
enhanced dividend proposal
19.01.2021 / 08:03
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Munich, 19 January 2021
Telefónica Deutschland's Strategy Update confirms successful start into
growth era, highlighting grey spot sharing co-operations and enhanced
dividend proposal
- Core business momentum intact, confirming FY20 outlook at Strategy Update
- Further efficiencies from bilateral active network sharing in grey spots
with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone
- Enhanced dividend proposal of EURc 18 per share for FY20 and extended as
dividend floor until 2023
Telefónica Deutschland has entered its growth decade in 2020. This 5G era
aims at accelerating sustainable growth on the back of the company's scale
benefits and transformation agenda.
One year into the execution of the company's investment for growth
programme, Telefónica Deutschland has delivered solid nine-month 2020
results with improving trends in Q3 20 mainly driven by the strong traction
of the O2 Free portfolio. Telefónica Deutschland is focusing on own business
dynamics leveraging equalised network quality for its three growth pillars.
- Growing mobile market share in rural areas while reinforcing strong
position in urban
- Smart bundling of mobile & mobile as well as fixed & mobile products based
on technology agnostic approach
- Seizing the B2B market opportunity, particularly in SME
In 2020, Telefónica Deutschland accelerated the rollout of its 4G network to
achieve coverage obligations, reaching 98% of households nationwide and
minimum 97% of households in each of the 16 federal states at year end
despite the challenging COVID-19 environment. Also, the company's 5G network
went live in the 15 largest German cities. The 'very good' rating awarded in
the connect magazine test has been a confirmation of Telefónica
Deutschland's strong network enhancements.
On top, Telefónica Deutschland continues to improve network coverage by
engaging in network sharing opportunities. The company announces today an
MoU with Deutsche Telekom and a similar agreement with Vodafone for
bilateral active network sharing in so-called 'grey spots', targeting a
combined minimum of 1,200 sites. Furthermore, Telefónica Deutschland
participates in the trilateral passive sharing agreement of the German MNOs
for a joint fulfilment of the industry coverage obligations from the 2019
spectrum auction. As announced in November 2019, each of the three involved
parties is building an equal share of a total of 6,000 sites in white spots.
Telefónica Deutschland confirms its FY20 outlook and refines midterm
guidance while continuously monitoring the COVID-19 environment. The company
maintains its investment for growth programme launched a year ago. This
network focused programme is expected to deliver cumulated revenue growth of
minimum 5% over the three-year period 2020-22. OIBDA adjusted for
exceptional effects and excluding COVID-19 effects is anticipated to benefit
from the above-mentioned revenues streams and continued efficiency gains, as
the company strives for ongoing margin improvement.
The investment programme also supports Telefónica Deutschland's ESG strategy
which is fully integrated in the company's overall business strategy. On the
back of the significantly increased 4G coverage and high data usage trends,
Telefónica Deutschland has brought forward its plan to switch-off the 3G
network by the end of this year. Hence, the overall unchanged investment
envelope is increasingly shifting from 4G to 5G while seeing some minor
phasing into 2021/22. As a result, C/S is expected to peak at 17-18% in 2021
and to normalise towards the end of 2022.
Telefónica Deutschland continues to target a strong balance sheet with
significant financial flexibility and low leverage. With a leverage ratio of
1.6x [1] as of 30 September 2020, the company is well below its self-defined
target of at our below 2.5x and maintains significant headroom for its Fitch
BBB investment grade rating.
In the context of the spin-off and sale of the operations of Telefónica
Deutschland's passive infrastructure on c.10,100 mobile sites to Telxius in
two tranches for a total purchase price of EUR 1.5 billion in June 2020,
Telefónica Deutschland considers financial flexibility during the
unprecedented COVID times as the first and foremost priority. At the same
time, the company remains committed to an attractive shareholder
remuneration, targeting a high pay-out ratio to Free Cash Flow [2] after
leases (FCFaL).
Besides the recently announced German FTTH investment in a 10% minority
stake of Unsere Grüne Glasfaser (UGG) offering attractive long-term returns
and the funding of sustainable business development, Telefónica Deutschland
announces today an enhanced shareholder remuneration. Telefónica Deutschland
intends to propose an increased dividend of EURc 18 per share for FY20 to
the AGM in May 2021. A dividend of EURc 18 will also be the increased floor
for the years 2021 to 2023 extending the current dividend floor period by
one year.
Telefónica Deutschland's management team is hosting a virtual presentation
today at 10 am CET / 9 am GMT followed by a Q&A session. Please register
here to participate in the event.
More information:
Telefónica Deutschland
Investor Relations
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 50
D-80992 München
t +49 (0)89 2442-1010
f +49 (0)89 2442-2000
e ir-deutschland@telefonica.com
[1] Leverage ratio is defined as net financial debt divided by OIBDA of the
last twelve months adjusted for exceptional effects.
[2] Free Cash Flow pre dividends and payments for spectrum is defined as the
sum of cash flow from operating activities and cash flow from investing
activities and does not contain payments for investments in spectrum as well
as related interest payments.
19.01.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
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Language: English
Company: Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 50
80992 München
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)89 24 42 0
Internet: www.telefonica.de
ISIN: DE000A1J5RX9
WKN: A1J5RX
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf,
Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID: 1161494
MDAX TecDAX
End of News DGAP News Service
1161494 19.01.2021