Millicom(TIGO) - 2025 Q2 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is on track to deliver $750 million in equity free cash flow for the year [3] - Adjusted EBITDA reached a new high of 46.7%, up 3.2 points year over year [5] - Equity free cash flow for the quarter was $218 million, bringing the H1 total to $395 million, an increase of nearly $126 million compared to $269 million in H1 of last year [19][29] - Service revenue for the quarter totaled €1.28 billion, representing a year-over-year decline of 5.9% due to foreign exchange impacts [16] - Organic service revenue growth accelerated to 2.4% when excluding FX impact [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The mobile business grew by mid-single digits, accelerating from 3.1% in the previous quarter [7] - Postpaid customer base grew by 14%, reaching nearly 9 million customers [7] - Home business added 41,000 customers, a growth of nearly 6% year on year [8] - B2B service revenue grew nearly 4% organically, driven by a 16% CAGR in digital services over the past two years [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Colombia, service revenue accelerated to nearly 5% year over year, up from 3.6% in the previous quarter [10] - Guatemala's service revenue grew by 1.9% year on year, with a postpaid customer base expanding by 20% [12] - Panama's service revenue was nearly flat year on year at €170 million [22] - Bolivia's service revenue in local currency increased by 7%, but was insufficient to cover devaluation [23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company executed three major acquisitions, including Telefonica's Uruguay operations and a definitive agreement for Telefonica Ecuador [4] - Focus on migrating prepaid customers to postpaid to increase ARPU and reduce churn [41] - Emphasis on convergence, with 25% of new sales being convergent, which reduces churn and increases customer lifetime value [44] - Plans to maintain leverage below 2.5x while pursuing strategic M&A opportunities [30][56] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about recovery efforts, expecting positive growth in service revenue in 2025 [9] - The competitive environment in Guatemala is challenging, but the company is focused on ARPU development [35] - The demand for data is increasing, driving the need for migration from prepaid to postpaid [40] - Management expects to maintain strong cash flow generation and EBITDA growth despite ongoing challenges [61] Other Important Information - The company declared a special interim dividend of $2.5 per share, reflecting confidence in capital discipline [4] - Adjusted EBITDA growth was solid at 9.3% on an organic basis in the quarter [18] - The company is actively exploring digitalization initiatives to improve operational efficiency [49] Q&A Session Summary Question: Improvement in Guatemala and competitive environment - Management noted a significant migration from prepaid to postpaid, with postpaid penetration still low at 12% [34] - The company is building new sites to capture new communities and expects sustainable growth [35] Question: CapEx outlook - Expected CapEx for the year is between $650 million to $700 million, representing 11% to 12% of revenues [37][38] Question: Drivers for accelerating service revenue growth - Increased demand for data and migration from prepaid to postpaid are key drivers [40] - Price increases and improved customer quality are also contributing to revenue growth [42] Question: Cost control and restructuring costs - No significant restructuring costs are expected in H2, with ongoing cost control embedded in operations [48] Question: Leverage target and refinancing plans - The leverage target remains below 2.5x, including dividends and M&A [56] - The company prioritizes raising local currency debt and repaying US dollar debt [60] Question: Competitive landscape in Colombia - Management noted aggressive pricing from competitors but emphasized the importance of network quality and distribution [70] - Regulatory processes for acquisitions are ongoing, with expected approvals in Q3 and Q4 [73]