GuruFocus -
- Service Revenue Growth: High-single digit year-over-year growth.
- Mobile Services Revenue Growth: 7.3% increase compared to Q2 2023.
- ARPU Growth: 6.8% increase through more-for-more initiatives.
- Customer Additions: 458,000 new clients in Q2 2024.
- Top Line Growth: 7.5% year-over-year increase.
- EBITDA Growth: More than 8% increase, with a margin reaching 50% for Q2.
- EBITDA After Lease Growth: Almost 14% increase, with a margin growth of more than 2 percentage points year-over-year.
- Net Income Growth: More than 20% year-over-year increase.
- Operational Cash Flow Increase: Almost 24% increase, with margin expanding to 24.4%.
- Recurring Lease Payments Reduction: BRL56 million reduction versus Q2 2023.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Service revenue grew at a high-single digit year over year, driven mainly by mobile services with a 7.3% increase.
- EBITDA grew more than 8%, with the margin reaching an all-time high of 50% for a second quarter.
- Operational cash flow increased by almost 24%, with the margin expanding to 24.4%.
- The company added 458,000 clients in the second quarter, with a focus on reducing churn and migrating from prepaid to postpaid.
- AI initiatives are moving from pilot to full rollout, showing potential for cost reduction and increased customer satisfaction.
- The competitive environment remains challenging, with potential new entrants like Nubank as an MVNO.
- Prepaid revenue growth was slightly negative, impacted by migration to control plans and price adjustments.
- Lease payments are expected to increase slightly in the second half due to inflation adjustments and remaining decommissioning impacts.
- The fixed broadband unit faces fierce competition, requiring a selective growth approach to maintain profitability.
- The infrastructure sharing agreement with Vivo is complex and progressing slower than desired, impacting cost savings.
A: The competitive environment remains rational, with a focus on quality and innovation rather than price. MVNOs have not disrupted the market significantly. For margins, we focus on productivity and digitalization, with room for improvement. Our more-for-more strategy is accretive for margin expansion. (Alberto Mario Griselli, CEO; Andrea Marques, CFO)
Q: Given your performance above guidance, is there room to increase the service revenue growth guidance? Also, what's the outlook for lease payments?
A: We expect a slowdown in revenue growth due to a strong second half last year and less intense postpaid price increases. We aim to achieve our guidance of 5% to 7% growth. Lease payments may increase slightly due to inflation adjustments and ongoing renegotiations. (Alberto Mario Griselli, CEO; Andrea Marques, CFO)
Q: Could AI initiatives support long-term EBITDA growth, and can you elaborate on the make-versus-buy approach?
A: AI initiatives are being pragmatically deployed, focusing on customer care and network maintenance. If successful, they could lead to double-digit cost reductions. The make-versus-buy approach involves evaluating outsourcing opportunities to improve productivity, such as network maintenance and administrative tasks. (Alberto Mario Griselli, CEO; Andrea Marques, CFO)
Q: What are your expectations for prepaid revenue and fiber operation strategy?
A: Prepaid revenue is influenced by migration to control plans and demand elasticity. We are fine-tuning our strategy to address different customer segments. For fiber, we maintain a selective growth approach, focusing on profitability and exploring consolidation opportunities in the market. (Alberto Mario Griselli, CEO)
Q: Why does your three-year guidance imply a deceleration in growth, and how are selling expenses being managed?
A: The guidance reflects a shift from volume to value, with growth expected to stabilize above inflation. Selling expenses are growing below revenue, benefiting from productivity gains and efficient management despite increased advertising and product launches. (Alberto Mario Griselli, CEO; Andrea Marques, CFO)
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.