DoCoMo Reports FYE 2006 Earnings

Market leader NTT DoCoMo has just released their accounting for the fiscal year ending 2006. Net income dropped to 457.3 billion yen ($3.8 billion) in the 12 months to 31 March, from 610.5 billion yen a year earlier, when earnings included a 102 billion gain from share sales of Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Ltd. and KPN Mobile. While sales climbed 0.5 percent to 4.79 trillion yen annual profit was down YoY by 25 percent based on increased handset subsidies and 3G network upgrade costs. DoCoMo also noted that ARPU in the fourth quarter fell to 6,530 yen from 6,720 yen a year earlier.

According to this report on Bloomberg:

DoCoMo said operating profit, or sales minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses, fell 7.1 percent to 773.5 billion yen. Shares of the company rose 1 percent to 205,000 yen at the close on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, before the earnings release. The stock climbed 13 percent in the past six months, outpacing a 4.4 percent gain in the Nikkei 225 Stock Average.

The company said it is seeking approval to buy back as many as 1 million shares for 200 billion yen. It plans to increase dividend payments this fiscal year to 4,800 yen, from 4,000 yen in the previous 12-month period.

In a separate statement, DoCoMo said it will terminate their PHS (Personal Handyphone System) on Jan. 7, 2008. The IR results [.pdf] are available Here.