Nokia has posted earnings for Q4 2019 and the full-year 2019 today. A strong 5G momentum has resulted in strong Q4 and Nokia has turned profitable in 2019 as compared to 2018 when it reported loss.
Earning highlights:
- In full-year 2019, on a reported basis, Nokia generated a profit of EUR 18 million and a diluted EPS of EUR 0.00, compared to a loss of EUR 549 million and a diluted EPS of negative EUR 0.10 in the full-year 2018.
- In Q4 2019, net cash and current financial investments increased sequentially by approximately EUR 1.4 billion, resulting in a net cash balance of approximately EUR 1.7 billion.
- 5G deal momentum continues, with 66 commercial deals and 19 live networks
- Strong momentum in strategic focus areas of software and enterprise
- Year-on-year operational improvement expected over the course of 2020
- Net sales in Q4 2019 were EUR 6.9 billion, approximately flat compared to Q4 2018. On a constant currency basis, net sales decreased by 1%. Excluding one-time licensing net sales in Q4 2019 and Q4 2018, net sales grew 1%, reflecting improved overall industry demand and particularly strong growth with enterprise customers, driven by increased demand for mission-critical networking solutions. In full-year 2019, net sales were EUR 23.3 billion, compared to EUR 22.6 billion in full-year 2018.
CEO’s statement:
Nokia’s fourth quarter 2019 results were a strong end to a challenging year. We saw strength in many parts of our business in the quarter, delivered a slightly better operating profit than the same period in 2018, generated solid free cash flow, and increased our net cash balance to EUR 1.7 billion.
When I look at Nokia’s full-year 2019 performance, we saw good progress in our strategic focus areas of enterprise and software. Nokia Enterprise delivered exceedingly well on its target of double-digit sales growth, considerably outpacing the market. Nokia Software showed its long-term promise, with exceptional profitability expansion compared to 2018. In addition, IP Routing continued its remarkable momentum, gaining significant share and increasing profitability in a difficult market; and Nokia Technologies continued to generate robust profitability.
We recognize, however, that we have faced challenges in Mobile Access and in cash generation. We will have a sharp focus on these two areas over the course of 2020, which we believe to be a year of progressive improvement as the actions we have underway start to deliver results. In Mobile Access, we expect improvements to be driven by increasing shipments of our “5G Powered by ReefShark” portfolio; product cost reductions; better commercial management; and strengthened operational performance in services.
In terms of cash generation, we have extensive operational actions underway to improve performance. As we noted in our third quarter announcement, our Board said it expects to resume dividend distributions after Nokia’s net cash position increases to approximately EUR 2 billion. Given typical cash seasonality, we would not expect to reach that level in the first three quarters of this year. Should we exceed the EUR 2 billion level after that point, the Board will assess the possibility of proposing a dividend distribution for financial year 2020.
While I believe that 2020 will present its share of challenges, I am confident that we are taking the right steps to deliver progressive improvement over the course of this year and to position us for a stronger 2021.
