Ericsson Proposes Bigger Dividends After Strong Quarter

Core Viewpoint - Ericsson reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, with an EPS of 27 cents, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of 23 cents [1] Financial Performance - The company's reported sales for the quarter were 69.3 billion Swedish Krona ($7.37 billion), representing a 5% year-over-year decline but exceeding the consensus revenue estimate of $7.03 billion [2] - Organic sales rose by 6% for the period, excluding the impact of acquisitions, divestments, and foreign currency fluctuations [2] Segment Performance - The Networks division experienced a 6% decline in sales, while the Enterprise segment saw a significant 25% drop, mainly due to the divestment of iconectiv [3] - Cloud Software and Services sales grew by 3%, with a 12% increase in sales across all market areas [4] - Within the Networks segment, organic sales decreased by 4%, with growth in specific regions partially offsetting declines in others [4] Profitability and Cash Position - The adjusted gross margin improved to 48.0% from 46.3% year-over-year, driven by cost-reduction actions and operational efficiency [5] - Adjusted EBIT margin improved to 17.7% from 13.1% year-over-year, and adjusted EBITA margin improved to 18.3% from 14.1% [5] - Free cash flow before M&A was 14.9 billion Swedish Krona, down from 15.8 billion Swedish Krona in the prior-year period [6] - The company's net cash position was 61.2 billion Swedish Krona at year-end 2025 [6] CEO Commentary - CEO Börje Ekholm highlighted that the company achieved organic growth despite a flat RAN market, driven by momentum in mission-critical networks, 5G core, and Enterprise [7]