O2 pre-tax earnings climb 7.3%
Mobile phone giant O2 Ireland lifted customers by 10.2% to 1.53 million and pre-tax earnings by 7.2% to €323m, it was revealed today.
O2 Ireland revenues for the year ended 31 March 2005 climbed 13% to €816m from €720m last year.
The parent group O2 today unveiled its first full-year dividend as it said annual profits had more than tripled.
Group Chairman David Arculus said the group had delivered another year of strong revenue and profit growth, with revenues up more than 18%, and underlying earnings per share 63% ahead of last year.
“All of O2’s businesses performed well during the year,” he said.
O2 said group revenues grew by 18.4% to £6.7bn (€9.7bn) and operating profits were up 73.6% to £755m (€1.09bn).
It said it had reduced its group net debt by £288m (€418m) to £78m (€113m).
O2 said its UK division grew customers by 8.4% to 14.38 million. The group’s German division added almost two million customers during the year, taking its total number to eight million.
