VEON Ltd. ADS - VEON STOCK NEWS

VEON (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON) has agreed to sell its 49% stake in Kazakh wholesale telecommunications infrastructure provider TNS Plus LLP (TNS+) to its JV partner, the DAR group. The sale is valued at USD 137.5 million and awaits regulatory approval in Kazakhstan. The divestment aligns with VEON's asset-light strategy, allowing the company to focus on its core digital services in Kazakhstan, such as its financial app Simply, entertainment platform BeeTV, and AI-driven software development via QazCode. DAR will continue to invest in telecommunications infrastructure and digital innovations in Kazakhstan.

On May 20, 2024, VEON received a notification from Nasdaq's Listing Qualifications Department indicating non-compliance with timely filing requirements due to a delay in submitting its Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2023. This delay stems from challenges in appointing a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) compliant auditor following VEON's exit from Russia. Although VEON has appointed PwC for Dutch filing purposes, the PCAOB-compliant auditor is still pending. Nasdaq has provided VEON until July 19, 2024, to submit a compliance plan, with a potential extension until November 11, 2024. Despite the delay, VEON's shares will continue trading on Nasdaq, and business operations remain unaffected.

VEON announces that its Bangladeshi operator, Banglalink, has signed an MoU with Robi Axiata to explore network sharing, aimed at expanding 4G coverage and improving network performance in Bangladesh.

This collaboration promotes an 'asset-light' business model, aligning with VEON's strategy and environmental sustainability goals.

The move is expected to enhance customer experience, reduce resource duplication, and improve operational efficiency.

Banglalink has been proactive in expanding its 4G services, including a previous MoU with Teletalk and the sale of part of its towers to Summit Towers

VEON, a global digital operator, reported its Q1 2024 financial and operational results. The company achieved USD 942 million in revenue, reflecting a 6.6% year-over-year (YoY) increase in reported currency and an 11.6% increase in local currency. EBITDA stood at USD 386 million, marking a 0.2% YoY increase in reported currency and a 5.1% increase in local currency. The company recorded capital expenditures (capex) of USD 125 million, up 38.6% YoY, with a last twelve months (LTM) capex intensity of 18.3%. Total cash and cash equivalents were USD 632 million as of March 31, 2024, and VEON reduced its gross debt to USD 3.7 billion, down by USD 2.0 billion YoY. VEON maintains its full-year guidance for 2024, expecting revenue growth of 16-18% and EBITDA growth of 18-20% in local currency. The company also increased its share ownership and is set to hold its 2024 Annual General Meeting and Capital Markets Day on June 6th, 2024.

VEON has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beeline Kazakhstan, GSMA, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) to explore AI and language technologies for under-resourced languages. The agreement, signed at M360 Eurasia in Baku, aims to develop AI systems and language models to bridge the digital divide and improve user experiences in low-resource languages like Kazakh. Beeline Kazakhstan's IT subsidiary, QazCode, has already launched a Kazakh-language AI module, Kaz-RoBERTA-conversational, for customer service. The initiative hopes to address the AI language gap and promote digital inclusion for millions of people.

VEON, a global digital operator, has published its Annual Corporate Governance Report for the financial year 2023. Released on May 15, 2024, the Report is available on the Financial Results section of VEON's website. It includes essential details ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for May 31, 2024. The Report summarizes key 2023 achievements, outlines VEON's corporate governance structure, presents the Board of Directors' nominee recommendations, and provides an unaudited remuneration report for the year ending December 31, 2023.

VEON's subsidiary, Kyivstar, was named the top international investor in Ukraine for 2022-2023 by Forbes Ukraine. Kyivstar's UAH 12.3 billion (approx. USD 350 million) in capital expenditures focused on expanding 4G coverage, network availability, energy resilience, and digital services. They installed 5,500 new base stations and upgraded over 13,000 to 4G, increasing 4G coverage from 90.3% to 95.4%. Kyivstar also invested UAH 1 billion (USD 27.4 million) in energy resilience and acquired a controlling interest in Helsi, a leading digital healthcare platform. VEON and Kyivstar have committed to investing USD 600 million over the next three years.

VEON announced that its digital platform Tamasha has secured digital streaming rights for all major ICC tournaments in 2024 and 2025. Tamasha, Pakistan’s largest OTT platform, will broadcast events like the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This follows Tamasha's success during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, where it reached over 21 million monthly active users and peaked at 8.5 million daily active users. More than 50 advertisers have partnered with Tamasha, reflecting the shift to digital streaming in Pakistan.

VEON 's subsidiary Banglalink is leading the 3G phase-out in Bangladesh to focus on enhancing 4G services, resulting in significant growth in 4G subscribers and coverage. Banglalink aims to provide high-quality connectivity and digital services, supporting Bangladesh's 'Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041' with state-of-the-art infrastructure and services.