LONDON (Dow Jones)--Telecom Egypt SAE (ETEL.CI) has made an
informal approach to Vodafone Group PLC (VOD) about buying out the
U.K. company's controlling stake in Vodafone Egypt
Telecommunications Co. (VODE-CI), sources familiar with the
situation said Friday.
Vodafone Group has a 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt, and
state-owned Telecom Egypt holds a 45% stake. No other parties are
involved, said a person familiar with the situation.
Telecom Egypt, the only provider of fixed-line services in the
country, said in March it wanted to increase its exposure to the
mobile market. Chief Executive Tarek Tantawy said he was
considering the acquisition of an integrated telecom company, and
that the company would consider bidding for a fourth mobile license
in Egypt if it came to the market.
Vodafone has long been under pressure from the market to clarify
its strategy regarding minority stakes in the U.S., France, China
and South Africa as well as Egypt.
Telecom Egypt could pay around GBP3 billion, or six times
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, for
Vodafone's stake, said Sanford Bernstein analyst Robin
Bienenstock.
She added in a research note that a sale was likely, given that
Vodafone Chief Executive Vittorio Colao "made it clear that his
core business was Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and India. Egypt is
none of those."
Collins Stewart said it would welcome a rationalization of
Vodafone's portfolio with a "timely" sale, while another London
analyst said the proceeds would provide an extra cushion to
Vodafone's balance sheet.
Telekom Egypt confirmed that Chief Executive Tarek Tantawy had
asked the board and management of the company to explore options to
maximise its exposure to the mobile sector in Egypt, including
increasing its stake in Vodafone Egypt or applying for a fourth
mobile license if it became available.
In an emailed statement, it said no decisions had yet been
taken.
Vodafone declined to comment.
Vodafone Egypt competes with market leader Egyptian Co. for
Mobile Services (EMOB.CI), also known as Mobinil, and Etisalat
Egypt, a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates-based Emirates
Telecommunications Corp. (ETISALAT.AD)
France Telecom (FTE) and Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CI) said April 15
they had reached a settlement over the ownership of Mobinil,
brokered by the Egyptian government, ending a long running and
complicated legal dispute in the Egyptian courts and international
arbitration.
Price wars between mobile operators in Egypt are reducing
margins and revenue. Mobile line subscribers totaled 55.85 million
in January this year, a 32% rise on the year earlier, according to
data from the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology website, while mobile penetration was 73%.
In late April, Mobinil's net profit fell 2% in the first quarter
on slowing economic growth and the impact of intensifying
competition.
Vodafone Group on Tuesday said it more than doubled its
full-year net profit, but it booked a GBP2.3 billion impairment on
its Indian operations, underscoring the wider effects of
intensifying competition in its emerging markets.
At 1334 GMT, Vodafone shares were down 1.2% or 2p at 128 pence,
against a 2% decline in the FTSE 100.
-By Molly Neal, Dow Jones Newswires; 44 (0) 207 842 9358;
molly.neal@dowjones.com
(Jessica Hodgson in London and Shereen El Gazzar in Cairo
contributed to this article.)
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