* Q3 & Q4 2004 IBT includes consolidation of BMC and Net Income
includes deduction of minority interest in BMC[1]
** Q4 2004 Net Income includes a negative effect of a valuation
allowance on deferred tax assets of Euro 45 million
Units shipped in the quarter reached 12.6 million, a 56% increase
compared to the same period last year. Sales for the quarter were Euro
2,005 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 40%.
Income before taxes was Euro 140 million and net income was Euro 55
million, which represent year-on-year improvements of Euro 94 million
(204%) and Euro 12 million (28%) respectively.
The company experienced a strong quarter led by consumer demand for
the V800 series and Z1010 3G UMTS phones, as well as GSM models like the
S700, K700 and K500 series. During the quarter Sony Ericsson increased
investment in brand and product development, while the Average Selling
Price (ASP), one of the highest in the industry, increased sequentially
to Euro 160.
"2004 was a good year for Sony Ericsson as the company established
profitability and entered into a growth phase in its development,"
said Miles Flint, President of Sony Ericsson. "The fourth quarter
continued a trend of expansion in both volume and sales, showing the
company's ability to effectively compete in this dynamic market.
Strong growth in Q4 was led by good up-take of our latest 3G UMTS
phone which has laid the groundwork for future expansion of our 3G
portfolio."
During the fourth quarter, Sony Ericsson launched a new entry-level
GSM product, the J200, for the Asia Pacific and Chinese markets, and
introduced the Vodafone V800 and V802SE UMTS phones for the global and
Japanese markets. The company also announced the entry-level T290 which
will start shipping globally during Q1 and signed an agreement with
Sharp Corporation in relation to the co-development of 3G FOMAŽ base
software for NTT DoCoMo[2] in Japan. In addition, Sony Ericsson
announced a major global sports sponsorship with the WTA (Women's Tennis
Association) Tour at the beginning of January 2005.
[1] On June 30 2004, Sony Ericsson announced it had increased its
equity stake in a Chinese factory, Beijing Ericsson Putian Mobile
Communications Co. Ltd. (BMC) to 51%, taking over majority ownership of
the facility from Ericsson. BMC operations have been fully consolidated
into Sony Ericsson from the second quarter 2004 which had a positive
effect on the company results. The name of the factory has been changed
to Beijing SE Putian Mobile Communications Co. Ltd (BMC).
[2] FOMA is a registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and
other countries. NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is only available to
subscribers in Japan.
Note:
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications serves the global communications
market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories,
PC-cards and M2M solutions. Established as a joint venture by Ericsson
and Sony in 2001, with headquarters in London, the company employs
approximately 5,000 people worldwide, including R&D sites in Europe,
Japan, China and America. For more information, please visit
www.SonyEricsson.com