News out
MCLEAN, VA, Jul 31, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated (OTCBB: PRTL), a global, facilities-based integrated communications services provider, today announced its results for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2008.
Second Quarter 2008 Highlights:
-- $236 Million Net Revenue, Up $10 Million or 5% From Prior Quarter
-- $15 Million Income from Operations, Up $5 Million From Prior Quarter
-- $24 Million Adjusted EBITDA, Up $9 Million From Prior Quarter
-- $64 Million of Debt Principal Reduction
-- Net Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Guidance Adjusted Upward
PRIMUS reported second quarter 2008 net revenue of $236 million, up $10 million from $226 million in both the prior and year-ago quarters. The Company reported $44 million of net income for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $3 million in the prior quarter and net income of $12 million in the second quarter 2007. As a result, the Company reported basic and diluted net income per common share of $0.31 and $0.24, respectively, in the second quarter 2008, as compared to basic and diluted net loss per common share of ($0.02) in the prior quarter and basic and diluted net income per common share of $0.10 and $0.07, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.
"We are encouraged by our second consecutive quarter of net revenue growth. Based on this performance we are revising upward our 2008 revenue guidance. We are now targeting positive year-over-year revenue growth versus our earlier guidance of a 2% to 5% decline in 2008," said K. Paul Singh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PRIMUS. "We are also pleased that continued increases in our growth products have again eclipsed the decline in legacy services."
"Growth in net revenue, together with continued cost management, has generated $24 million in Adjusted EBITDA, up sharply from $15 million in the first quarter. Even after excluding the $6 million regulatory award involving excessive pricing by Telstra, Adjusted EBITDA results represent a sequential increase of 17%."
Also during the quarter, as previously announced, PRIMUS reduced outstanding debt principal by $63 million through private exchange transactions. The Company successfully issued $67 million principal amount of new debt plus $4.7 million in cash in exchange for $130 million principal amount of outstanding debt. This transaction reduced overall debt principal levels by 10%, reduced debt maturing in the latter half of 2009 from $28.1 million to $22.8 million, and reduced debt maturing in the latter half of 2010 from $133.6 million to $57.6 million.
Subsequent to the end of the second quarter, a Canadian affiliate, of which the Company currently owns slightly less than 50% of the equity, sold certain primarily rural WIMAX spectrum assets (representing approximately 10% of its spectrum population coverage) for cash consideration of $5 million. "While we continue to pursue other potential sales of select assets to improve liquidity and to narrow geographical focus to our major franchises, prevailing uncertainty in the capital markets combined with a weak overall economic outlook is likely to extend our time horizon to meet the goal of generating $50 million in cash proceeds from assets sales, particularly if valuation parameters are not at acceptable levels," Mr. Singh said.
"In light of our revised revenue guidance and operating performance, and assuming currency exchange rates remain at current levels, we are adjusting upward our full year 2008 Adjusted EBITDA target to the vicinity of $75 million, versus a previous range of $65 million to $80 million. As in past quarters, that outcome will be influenced by the success we achieve in our expanded sales and marketing efforts. We continue to expect capital expenditures for the year to be in the $25 million to $30 million range, approximately $5 million lower than our initial guidance," Mr. Singh concluded.
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