Feb 19 (Reuters) – Australia’s Telstra Group’s half-year profit beat estimates on Thursday, supported by its mobile business segment and cost control, while tightening its earnings forecast for fiscal 2026.
Price increases across most of the firm’s mobile plans took effect in July last year, positioning it as the top telco services provider in a highly competitive three-player sector.
Telstra has also taken steps to lift earnings and sharpen its focus on core segments such as mobile and broadband, including an overhaul of its enterprise division via layoffs and divestments.
The country’s top telecom firm reported profit attributable of A$1.12 billion ($788.03 million) for the six months ended December 31, compared to A$1.03 billion logged last year, and slightly beating Visible Alpha’s consensus estimate of A$1.11 billion.
It narrowed its underlying EBITDA after lease amortisation (EBITDAaL) outlook to a range of A$8.2 billion to A$8.4 billion, compared to its earlier forecast of between A$8.15 billion and A$8.45 billion.
Telstra declared an interim dividend of 10.5 Australian cents per share, higher than the 9.5 Australian cents apiece declared last year.
It also increased its current A$1 billion share buyback announced last August to up to A$1.25 billion.
($1 = 1.4213 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Shivangi Lahiri and Nikita Maria Jino in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)