AIS beats analysts' forecasts with Bt5-bn profit in Q1
By Telecom Reporters
The Nation

Advanced Info Service (AIS) beat the expectations of many analysts by posting a consolidated net profit of Bt5.12 billion for the first quarter.

It said the performance was due to revenue growth and declining costs.

A telecom analyst said many had expected AIS to record a first-quarter net profit of about Bt4.6 billion, and industry analysts might now revise upwards their forecasts for AIS's full-year net profit from the current prediction of Bt18 billion.

However, AIS president Wichian Mektrakarn said he could not tell whether AIS could maintain the momentum throughout the year. The high first-quarter profit came from the annual high season for phone use. The country's largest cellular operator made a consolidated net profit of Bt5.12 billion, up 28.61 per cent from Bt3.98 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Its service revenues, excluding interconnection revenue, rose 9.9 per cent to Bt 21.42 billion, from Bt19.49 billion in last year's first quarter. This was a result of strong revenue growth in prepaid services, non-voice traffic and international calls. The company's non-voice revenue grew by 26 per cent year on year to Bt2.67 billion.

Selling and administrative expenses fell by 17.3 per cent to Bt2.58 billion from Bt3.12 billion in the first quarter of 2007, due to lower marketing expenses, improving bad debt provisions and discontinued amortising of goodwill, following a change in accounting policy.

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