Nokia has posted its Q4 2015 and Full-Year 2015 Financial results and the two continuing businesses Networks and Technologies have done well. Nokia Technologies in particular has 170% year-on-year net sales growth in Q4 2015 and 77% net sales growth in full year 2015. Nokia Networks continues its strong performance with strong non-IFRS operating margin of 14.6% in Q4 2015. The net profit for Nokia in Q4 2015 is 499 million. Net sales remains EUR 3.6 billion in Q4 2015 and EUR 12.5 billion in full year 2015.
Overall Highlights:
- Net sales of EUR 3.6 billion in Q4 2015 (EUR 3.5 billion in Q4 2014) and EUR 12.5 billion in full year 2015 (EUR 11.8 billion in full year 2014).
- Q4 2015 non-IFRS diluted EPS of EUR 0.15 (EUR 0.09 in Q4 2014), an increase of 67% year-on-year. Q4 2015 diluted EPS of EUR 0.13 (EUR 0.08 in Q4 2014).
- Full year 2015 non-IFRS diluted EPS of EUR 0.36 (EUR 0.27 in full year 2014), an increase of 33% year-on-year. Full year 2015 diluted EPS of EUR 0.31 (EUR 0.67 in full year 2014, benefitting from the recognition of a deferred tax asset).
- Nokia’s Board of Directors will propose a dividend of EUR 0.16 per share for 2015 and a special dividend of EUR 0.10 per share (dividend of EUR 0.14 per share for 2014). Proposed dividend is estimated to result in a maximum payout of approximately EUR 960 million in dividend and EUR 600 million in special dividend1.
Nokia Networks:
- 5% year-on-year net sales decrease in Q4 2015 and 3% net sales growth in full year 2015. On a reported basis, Greater China and Middle East & Africa were the strongest regions. On a constant currency basis, 12% year-on-year net sales decrease in Q4 2015 and 6% net sales decrease in full year 2015.
- Strong non-IFRS gross margin of 39.6% in Q4 2015 primarily due to elevated levels of software in Mobile Broadband, partially offset by the absence of non-recurring intellectual property rights net sales which benefitted Q4 2014.
- Strong non-IFRS operating margin of 14.6% in Q4 2015. Nokia Networks delivered full year financial results towards the high end of its original 2015 targets, with a non-IFRS operating margin of 10.9% in full year 2015, through strong operational performance and continued focus on execution excellence.
Nokia Technologies:
- 170% year-on-year net sales growth in Q4 2015 and 77% net sales growth in full year 2015. On a year-on-year basis, non-IFRS operating profit grew 318% in Q4 2015 and 102% in full year 2015, primarily related to the growth in net sales resulting from a settled arbitration. This was partially offset by higher non-IFRS operating expenses.
Nokia CEO’s Statement:
2015 was another year of dramatic transformation for Nokia and I am pleased that in the midst of all this change we were able to close the year with solid performances at both Nokia Networks and Nokia Technologies.
Nokia Networks delivered on its commitments for the full year, with a non-IFRS operating margin at the high end of the original guidance range and net sales up three percent on a reported currency basis. Pleasingly, both Mobile Networks and Global Services capped off the year with good fourth quarter results.
Nokia Technologies saw its net sales and operating profit grow considerably, based on strong licensing growth including a contribution from the arbitration award related to our licensing agreement with Samsung.
We have said consistently that we believe that our portfolio of innovation and intellectual property is second to none in the industry and that it has significant value that can be monetized. We expect to have further discussions with Samsung related to intellectual property and technology assets that were not covered by the arbitration process and will continue to pursue new licensing opportunities in a variety of sectors over the course of 2016 and beyond.
I was particularly pleased with our progress towards completing the Alcatel-Lucent transaction in the fourth quarter, culminating with the start of combined operations in early January. Our work as a combined company has gotten off to a strong start. Teams are preparing joint bids, we are working closely with our customers to ensure we can make fast and effective decisions about overlapping areas of our portfolio, and we are on target to deliver on our previously announced synergy savings.
While the competitive environment in Networks remained generally stable in the fourth quarter, we do expect some market headwinds in 2016 as 4G/LTE rollouts in China and some other markets start to slow. The first quarter, in particular, looks quite challenging as customers assess their CAPEX plans in light of increasing macro-economic uncertainty. In this environment, we will continue our sharp focus on operational and commercial discipline, ensure we deliver synergies as quickly as possible, and focus our energy on targeting the growth segments within the overall telecom market.
