Nokia Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates on Healthy Top-Line Growth

Core Insights - Nokia Corporation (NOK) reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter 2025 results, with both revenues and earnings exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate, driven by growth in optical networks within the Network Infrastructure segment [1][9]. Financial Performance - Nokia's net income for Q4 2025 was €544 million ($633.2 million), or €0.10 (11 cents) per share, down from €813 million or €0.15 in the same quarter last year, primarily due to higher operating expenses [2]. - The comparable profit for Q4 2025 was €882 million ($1.02 billion) or €0.16 (19 cents) per share, a decrease from €977 million or €0.18 in the prior year, but still beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 17 cents [2]. - For the full year 2025, net income was €660 million or €0.12 per share, down from €1,284 million or €0.23 in 2024, with comparable profit at €1,595 million or €0.29 per share, down from €2,175 million or €0.39 in 2024 [3]. Revenue Analysis - Quarterly net sales reached €6.13 billion ($7.13 billion), a 2% increase from €5.98 billion in the year-ago quarter, supported by growth in Network Infrastructure despite weaknesses in Cloud and Network Services [4][9]. - For 2025, total revenues were reported at €19.88 billion, reflecting a 3% year-over-year increase [4]. Segment Performance - Net sales from Network Infrastructure totaled €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion), up from €2.03 billion in the previous year, with IP Networks growing 3% year-over-year, driven by demand from AI and cloud customers [5]. - Mobile Networks generated revenues of €2.5 billion ($2.912 billion), down 2% year-over-year on a reported basis but up 6% on a constant currency basis [6]. - Cloud and Network Services reported net sales of €837 million ($974.28 million), down 11% year-over-year on a reported basis [6]. - Nokia Technologies contributed €384 million ($446.9 million), a decrease from €463 million in the year-ago quarter [7]. Regional Performance - EMEA region net sales increased to €2.532 billion from €2.431 billion in the previous year, driven by strong performance in Network Infrastructure and Mobile Networks [8]. - APAC region revenues declined to €1.38 billion, remaining flat year-over-year, with growth in Mobile Networks and Cloud and Network Services offset by weaknesses in Network Infrastructure [8]. - The Americas region saw a 3% growth at constant currency to €2.21 billion, bolstered by Network Infrastructure [10]. Operational Metrics - The comparable gross margin for Q4 was 48.1%, up from 47.2% in the previous year, while the comparable operating profit decreased 3% year-over-year to €1.05 billion ($1.23 billion) [11]. - Nokia generated €373 million ($434 million) in net cash from operating activities in Q4, compared to €209 million in the prior-year quarter [12]. - As of December 31, 2025, Nokia had €5.46 billion ($6.41 billion) in cash and cash equivalents, with long-term interest-bearing liabilities of €2.32 billion ($2.73 billion) [13]. Future Outlook - For 2026, Nokia expects a comparable operating profit in the range of €2-€2.5 billion, with free cash flow estimated at 55-75% of comparable operating profit and capital expenditure projected between €900-€1000 million [14]. - The company anticipates 6-8% sales growth in the Network Infrastructure segment for 2026 [14].