Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel both reported their Q2 numbers and here is a brief comparison on the same.
RCom reported 2Q FY09 net profit at Rs15.3bn, up 17% YoY and flat QoQ; reported results were boosted by ~Rs919mn of one-time income from FLAG arbitration. Adjusting for this, RCom’s EBITDA margin fell ~250bps QoQ to 39.8%.
High debt levels (~70% of which is forex debt), possible pressure on EBITDA margins from network expansion and increasing competitive risks in the Indian telecom sector remain key risks in our view. The Co continues to capitalize (MTM) losses (~Rs23bn) on its forex exposure. (more…)