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Published on FierceWireless (http://www.fiercewireless.com)

Sprint Nextel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2007 Results

By Jason
Created Feb 28 2008 - 9:47am

Feb. 28, 2008--Sprint Nextel
Corp. (NYSE: S) today reported fourth quarter and full-year 2007
financial results. Consolidated net operating revenues in the quarter
were $9.8 billion, compared to $10.4 billion in the fourth quarter of
2006. Full-year 2007 revenues were $40.1 billion versus $41.0 billion
in 2006. In the quarter, the company recorded a non-cash goodwill
impairment charge of $29.7 billion. The net loss for the quarter was
$29.5 billion or $10.36 diluted loss per share compared to net income
of $261 million or 9 cents diluted earnings per share in the fourth
quarter a year ago.

After adjusting for the goodwill impairment charge, as well as the
effects of other special items and merger-related amortization costs,
Adjusted EPS before Amortization* was 21 cents in the fourth quarter
of 2007, compared to 29 cents in the fourth quarter of 2006. The
decline in earnings is due to a reduced contribution from Wireless,
partially offset by an improved contribution from Wireline, an
investment gain and an income tax benefit in the fourth quarter of
2007.

As previously reported, wireless subscribers declined 108,000 in
the fourth quarter, due to gains in wholesale and Boost Unlimited
subscribers offset by decreases in iDEN post-paid and traditional
Boost pre-paid users. For the quarter, post-paid churn was 2.3%,
matching the third quarter of 2007 and the fourth quarter of 2006.
Wireless post-paid ARPU in the quarter was a little more than $58, a
1% sequential decline and a 4% decrease compared to the fourth quarter
of 2006. ARPU continues to be pressured by lower voice contributions,
partially offset by growth in data services.

"The fourth quarter financial results reflect the challenges
facing our Wireless business," said Dan Hesse, Sprint Nextel CEO. "We
are making significant changes across the organization in an effort to
improve execution, stabilize our customer base and deliver on the
opportunity provided by our assets. Given current deteriorating
business conditions, which are more difficult than what I had expected
to encounter, these changes will take time to produce improved
operating performance, and our near-term subscriber and financial
results will continue to be pressured. Additionally, in light of
current capital market conditions, we are taking steps to increase our
financial flexibility and mitigate refinancing risk by borrowing funds
from a revolving credit facility and discontinuing declaring a
dividend for the foreseeable future.

"Internally, we have rolled out a unified company culture focused
on accountability and on providing a superior customer experience. We
plan to share some of our initiatives for improving the customer
experience and operations next quarter. Strategic assessments and
changes may take longer to complete," Hesse said.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

TABLE No. 1 Selected Unaudited Financial Data (dollars in millions)
Quarter Ended % Year-to-Date %
December 31, +/- December 31, +/-
----------------- ----- ----------------- -----
Financial Data 2007 2006 2007 2006
--------- ------- --------- -------
Net operating
revenues $ 9,847 $10,438 (6)% $ 40,146 $41,003 (2)%
Adjusted operating
income* 235 770 (69)% 1,777 3,108 (43)%
Adjusted OIBDA* 2,455 3,174 (23)% 10,800 12,700 (15)%
(Loss) Income from
continuing
operations (29,452) 261 NM (29,580) 995 NM
Adjusted earnings
per share before
amortization* $ 0.21 $ 0.29 (28)% $ 0.88 $ 1.18 (25)%
Diluted (loss)
earnings per share
from continuing
operations $ (10.36) $ 0.09 NM $ (10.31) $ 0.34 NM
Capex $ 2,009 $ 2,612 (23)% $ 6,458 $ 7,057 (8)%
Free cash flow* $ 211 $ 421 (50)% $ 2,182 $ 2,759 (21)%

The following is a discussion of consolidated results:

WIRELESS RESULTS

TABLE No. 2 Selected Unaudited Financial Data (dollars in millions)
Quarter Ended Year-to-Date
December 31, December 31,
--------------- % ----------------- %
Financial Data 2007 2006 +/- 2007 2006 +/-
------- ------- ----- -------- -------- -----
Net operating revenues $8,497 $9,001 (6)% $34,700 $35,101 (1)%
Adjusted operating
income* 168 652 (74)% 1,429 2,592 (45)%
Adjusted OIBDA* 2,245 2,909 (23)% 9,914 11,678 (15)%
Adjusted OIBDA margin* 28.7% 35.5% 30.9% 36.6%
Capex(1) $1,404 $2,238 (37)% $ 4,991 $ 5,846 (15)%
(1)Capex includes re-
banding capital, but
excludes rebanding
costs related to FCC
licenses.

The following is a discussion of Wireless results:

Subscribers

Churn

Revenues/ARPU

Operating Expenses

Capital Spending

Wireless capital expenditures totaled $1.4 billion in the fourth
quarter and were $5.0 billion for the full year, or a little over 14%
of annual revenues. In 2007, the majority of capital was deployed to
increase capacity, enhance and expand the network footprint and triple
the footprint of EV-DO Rev. A coverage to areas where 222 million
people live and work.

WIRELINE RESULTS

TABLE No. 3 Selected Unaudited Financial Data (dollars in millions)
Quarter Ended Year-to-Date
December 31, December 31,
--------------- % --------------- %
2007 2006 +/- 2007 2006 +/-
------- ------- ----- ------- ------- -----
Net operating revenues $1,619 $1,632 (1)% $6,463 $6,560 (1)%
Adjusted operating
income* 178 116 53% 540 485 11%
Adjusted OIBDA* 320 263 22% 1,074 991 8%
Adjusted OIBDA margin* 19.8% 16.1% 16.6% 15.1%
Capex $ 205 $ 274 (25)% $ 632 $ 821 (23)%

The following is a discussion of Wireline results.

Forward-Looking Guidance

Sprint Nextel is currently assessing a reorganization of its
business model, associated sales, distribution and marketing plans,
and its financial outlook. The company expects to provide an update
when these plans are finalized. In the first quarter of 2008, Sprint
Nextel currently expects to report a sequential increase in post-paid
churn and a decline in Wireless post-paid subscribers of approximately
1.2 million customers, which is unlikely to improve in the second
quarter. We also expect continued downward pressure on postpaid ARPU
in the first quarter. First quarter Adjusted OIBDA* is projected to be
in the range of $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion.

*FINANCIAL MEASURES

Sprint Nextel provides financial measures generated using
generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and using adjustments
to GAAP (non-GAAP). The non-GAAP financial measures reflect industry
conventions, or standard measures of liquidity, profitability or
performance commonly used by the investment community for
comparability purposes. These non-GAAP measures are not measurements
under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
These measurements should be considered in addition to, but not as a
substitute for, the information contained in our financial statements
prepared in accordance with GAAP. We have defined below each of the
non-GAAP measures we use, but these measures may not be synonymous to
similar measurement terms used by other companies.

Sprint Nextel provides reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures
in its financial reporting. Because Sprint Nextel does not predict
special items that might occur in the future, and our forecasts are
developed at a level of detail different than that used to prepare
GAAP-based financial measures, Sprint Nextel does not provide
reconciliations to GAAP of its forward-looking financial measures.

The measures used in this release include the following:

Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Share (EPS) is defined as income
(loss) from continuing operations, before special items, net of tax
and the diluted EPS calculated thereon. Adjusted EPS before
Amortization is defined as income (loss) from continuing operations
before special items and amortization, net of tax, and the diluted EPS
calculated thereon. These non-GAAP measures should be used in addition
to, but not as a substitute for, the analysis provided in the
statement of operations. We believe that these measures are useful
because they allow investors to evaluate our performance for different
periods on a more comparable basis by excluding items that relate to
acquired amortizable intangible assets and not to the ongoing
operations of our businesses.

Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) is defined as operating income
(loss) before special items. This non-GAAP measure should be used in
addition to, but not as a substitute for, the analysis provided in the
statement of operations. We believe this measure is useful because it
allows investors to evaluate our operating results for different
periods on a more comparable basis by excluding special items.

Adjusted OIBDA is defined as operating income before depreciation,
amortization, severance, exit costs and asset impairments, and special
items. Adjusted OIBDA Margin represents Adjusted OIBDA divided by
non-equipment net operating revenues for Wireless and Adjusted OIBDA
divided by net operating revenues for Long Distance. These non-GAAP
measures should be used in addition to, but not as a substitute for,
the analysis provided in the statement of operations. We believe that
Adjusted OIBDA and Adjusted OIBDA Margin provide useful information to
investors because they are an indicator of the strength and
performance of our ongoing business operations, including our ability
to fund discretionary spending such as capital expenditures, spectrum
acquisitions and other investments and our ability to incur and
service debt. While depreciation and amortization are considered
operating costs under generally accepted accounting principles, these
expenses primarily represent non-cash current period allocation of
costs associated with long-lived assets acquired or constructed in
prior periods. Adjusted OIBDA and Adjusted OIBDA Margin are
calculations commonly used as a basis for investors, analysts and
credit rating agencies to evaluate and compare the periodic and future
operating performance and value of companies within the
telecommunications industry.

Free Cash Flow is defined as the change in cash and cash
equivalents less the change in debt, investment in certain securities,
proceeds from common stock and other financing activities, net, from
continuing operations. This non-GAAP measure should be used in
addition to, but not as a substitute for, the analysis provided in the
statement of cash flows. We believe that Free Cash Flow provides
useful information to investors, analysts and our management about the
cash generated by our core operations after interest and dividends and
our ability to fund scheduled debt maturities and other financing
activities, including discretionary refinancing and retirement of debt
and purchase or sale of investments.

Net Debt is consolidated debt, including current maturities, less
cash and cash equivalents, current marketable securities and
restricted cash. This non-GAAP measure should be used in addition to,
but not as a substitute for, the analysis provided in the balance
sheet and statement of cash flows. We believe that Net Debt provides
useful information to investors, analysts and credit rating agencies
about the capacity of the company to reduce the debt load and improve
its capital structure.

SAFE HARBOR

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the securities laws. The statements in this news release
regarding the business outlook, expected performance, forward-looking
guidance, as well as other statements that are not historical facts,
are forward-looking statements. The words "estimate," "project,"
"forecast," "intend," "expect," "believe," "target," "providing
guidance" and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are estimates
and projections reflecting management's judgment based on currently
available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
suggested by the forward-looking statements. With respect to these
forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding,
among other things, customer and network usage, customer growth and
retention, pricing, operating costs, the timing of various events and
the economic and regulatory environment.

Future performance cannot be assured. Actual results may differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Some factors
that could cause actual results to differ include:

Sprint Nextel believes these forward-looking statements are
reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations
and speak only as of the date of this release. Sprint Nextel is not
obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking
statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and
wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to
consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely
recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including two robust wireless networks serving about 54
million customers at the end of the fourth quarter 2007;
industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and
international walkie-talkie capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet
backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.


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