Telefónica(US:TEF)2025-11-04 11:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported sustained organic growth in revenues and EBITDA, with EBITDA minus CapEx returning to growth in the quarter [8][29] - Free cash flow expectations for the year were updated to around EUR 1,900 million, reflecting various impacts including tax refunds and litigation payments [20][21] - Net financial debt decreased year on year to EUR 28.2 billion, and after accounting for recent divestitures, it further reduced to EUR 26.5 billion [25][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Spain, Q3 revenue increased year on year, driven by service revenue growth, with retail revenue up about 2% and EBITDA growth accelerating to nearly 4% [10][11] - Telefonica Brasil maintained robust growth, with revenue growing over 6% year on year, supported by a 17% increase in new fiber connections and low churn rates around 1% [12][13] - Telefonica Deutschland faced challenges with a revenue decline of over 6% year on year and EBITDA dropping 9.5%, primarily due to ongoing migration issues [15][16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The total customer base reached 350 million, with significant growth in fiber and mobile contract accesses across core markets [7] - In Germany, the company reported strong mobile contract net adds despite the negative impact of the one-on-one migration [14] - Virgin Media O2 improved its commercial results, focusing on customer loyalty and expanding its convergent offerings [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on accelerating portfolio transformation and increasing efficiency across the group, with a declining CapEx to sales ratio [6][8] - The strategy includes exiting five out of eight Hispam countries to streamline operations and concentrate on core markets [22][30] - The company aims to maintain strong performance in retail and B2B segments, despite increasing competition [58] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in maintaining operational performance in core markets, with strong growth in Brazil and Spain [29][30] - The outlook for Germany remains challenging, but underlying performance is expected to improve as migration issues are resolved [24][62] - The company reiterated its commitment to the dividend for 2025 and confirmed guidance for revenue and EBITDA growth [20][30] Other Important Information - The company signed long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in the UK and Germany, enhancing its ESG approach [27] - A write-down of approximately EUR 250 million was recorded for Telefonica Tech due to lower sector expectations and asset performance [76][78] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on free cash flow impacts for 2025 - Management confirmed that the EUR 400 million tax refund is expected in 2026, and the Millicom litigation payments will be distributed from 2025 to 2027 [32][33] Question: Germany's EBITDA stabilization target - Management acknowledged the challenging market conditions but emphasized ongoing efficiency measures that are expected to yield results in the coming quarters [35][37] Question: Free cash flow difficulties in Germany - Management indicated that the free cash flow drag is a combination of various factors, including B2P impacts and restructuring efforts [46][50] Question: Dynamics in the Spanish wholesale market - Management noted that the decline in wholesale revenue was anticipated and attributed to contracts signed in previous years, with expectations for improvement in the future [64][66] Question: Working capital expectations - Management clarified that working capital contributions are expected to be lower than initially anticipated due to reduced management capacity in Hispam [70][73]