Ericsson announces impairment charge of SEK 32 billion and provides update on Q3 earnings
- Non-cash impairment charge of SEK 32 billion in Q3 2023 due to Vonage acquisition
- Positive outlook on Global Network Platform
- Group EBITA margin of 7.3% in line with guidance
- Significant drop in Vonage's market capitalization
- Increased interest rates and overall slowdown in Vonage's core markets
- Negative free cash flow due to working capital build-up
- Non-cash impairment of
SEK 32 billion in the third quarter 2023, relating to the impairment of goodwill attributed to the Vonage acquisition. - Vonage remains critical to the enterprise strategy and Ericsson's positive outlook on the potential of the Global Network Platform remains unchanged.
- Ericsson also announces highlights from the Q3 results with a group EBITA margin excluding restructuring charges of
7.3% which is in line with previous guidance.
The impairment is a consequence of the significant drop in the market capitalization of Vonage's publicly traded peers, increased interest rates and overall slowdown in Vonage's core markets. Ericsson continues to advance its enterprise strategy, with Vonage's network API capabilities being central to this strategy and the development of a Global Network Platform (GNP). The impairment does not alter Ericsson's positive outlook on the GNP market potential.
Vonage remains key to Ericsson's strategy to expand in Enterprise. The Enterprise strategy is underpinned by the development in the third quarter in which Ericsson announced an important milestone with a major commercial partnership in its GNP business. The development of GNP is creating a new market for exposing 5G capabilities through network APIs and the market opportunity is estimated at
Q3 earnings in line with guidance (preliminary and unaudited numbers)
Q3 earnings in line with guidance (preliminary and unaudited numbers)
Isolated quarters, excluding restructuring and impairment charges, SEK b. | Q3 | Q3 | YoY | Q2 | QoQ |
Net Sales | 64.5 | 68.0 | -5 % | 64.4 | 0 % |
Of which Networks | 41.5 | 48.1 | -14 % | 42.4 | -2 % |
Of which Cloud Software & Services | 15.6 | 14.2 | 10 % | 15.1 | 3 % |
Of which Enterprise | 6.7 | 5.0 | 34 % | 6.4 | 5 % |
Gross Income | 25.3 | 28.2 | -10 % | 24.7 | 3 % |
Of which Networks | 16.6 | 21.4 | -23 % | 16.7 | -1 % |
Of which Cloud Software & Services | 5.6 | 4.6 | 23 % | 5.1 | 10 % |
Of which Enterprise | 3.3 | 2.4 | 34 % | 3.0 | 10 % |
Gross Margin | 39.2 % | 41.4 % | 38.3 % | ||
Operating Expenses | -21.3 | -21.3 | 0 % | -22.2 | -4 % |
EBITA | 4.7 | 7.7 | -39 % | 3.7 | 28 % |
EBITA Margin | 7.3 % | 11.3 % | 5.7 % | ||
Networks | 12.6 % | 20.0 % | 11.4 % | ||
Cloud Software & Services | 2.8 % | -5.0 % | -1.9 % | ||
Enterprise | -8.9 % | -20.3 % | -13.2 % | ||
Free Cash Flow before M&A | -0.5 | 2.5 | -5.0 | ||
Restructuring charges | -0.9 | -0.1 | -3.1 |
Performance in Q3 was in line with guidance with an EBITA margin excluding restructuring charges of
Networks organic sales were down by -
Cloud Software and Services continued to execute on the turnaround strategy. With an EBITA excluding restructuring charges of
Enterprise reported continued strong growth in Enterprise Wireless Solutions and a slightly positive EBITA excluding restructuring charges in the Global Communications Platform business (Vonage) in the quarter.
Free cash flow before M&A was
Ericsson will, as previously communicated, announce its full report for the third quarter 2023 on October 17, at approximately 07.00 CEST.
Contact person
Peter Nyquist, Head of Investor Relations
Phone: +46 705 75 29 06
E-mail: peter.nyquist@ericsson.com
Additional contacts
Stella Medlicott, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Relations
Phone: +46 730 95 65 39
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com
Investors
Lena Häggblom, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: +46 72 593 27 78
E-mail: lena.haggblom@ericsson.com
Alan Ganson, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: +46 70 267 27 30
E-mail: alan.ganson@ericsson.com
Media
Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations
Phone: +46 76 128 47 89
E-mail: ralf.bagner@ericsson.com
Media relations
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com
Forward-looking statements
This release includes forward-looking statements, including expected write-down of our goodwill and other asset impairments, amounts of such impairments, effect of impairments on cash flow and dividend capacity, financial condition, performance and results of operations, business plans, objectives, market conditions, and assumptions upon which those statements are based including, in particular the following risks and uncertainties:
- Final determination of the extent of the impairment based on fair value analysis compared to carrying value
- Completion of the quarterly financial statements and review by our independent registered public accounting firm
- Potential changes in estimated impairment amounts based on the completion of the review process
- Extent of impairment impacts on cash flow and dividend capacity
- Our goals, strategies, planning assumptions and operational or financial performance expectations
- Industry trends, future characteristics and development of the markets in which we operate
- Our future liquidity, capital resources, capital expenditures, cost savings and profitability
- The expected demand for our existing and new products and services as well as plans to launch new products and services including research and development expenditures
- The ability to deliver on future plans and to realize potential for future growth
- Technology and industry trends including the regulatory and standardization environment in which we operate, competition and our customer structure.
The words "believe," "expect," "foresee," "anticipate," "assume," "intend," "likely," "projects," "may," "could," "plan," "estimate," "forecast," "will," "should," "would," "predict," "aim," "ambition," "seek," "potential," "target," "might," "continue," or, in each case, their negative or variations, and similar words or expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. Any statement that refers to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements.
We caution investors that these statements are subject to risks and uncertainties many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements.
Important factors that could affect whether and to what extent any of our forward-looking statements materialize include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the section "Risk Factors" in the latest interim reports, and in "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report 2022.
These forward-looking statements also represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date that they were made. We expressly disclaim a duty to provide updates to these forward-looking statements, and the estimates and assumptions associated with them, after the date of this release, to reflect events or changes in circumstances or changes in expectations or the occurrence of anticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange regulations.
This is information that Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 19:45 CEST on October 11, 2023.
The following files are available for download:
Ericsson announces impairment charge of |
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ericsson-announces-impairment-charge-of-sek-32-billion-and-provides-update-on-q3-earnings-301954058.html
SOURCE Ericsson
FAQ
What is the impairment charge for?
What is the outlook on the Global Network Platform?
What is the group EBITA margin for Q3?
Why was there a drop in Vonage's market capitalization?
Why is there negative free cash flow?
