Moscow, Russia – April 26, 2013 – Rostelecom OJSC (MICEX - RTS: RTKM, RTKMP; OTCQX: ROSYY) (“the Company”), Russia’s national telecommunications operator, announces that its Board of Directors has set the date for the 2012 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “AGM”).
According to the Board’s decision, the AGM will be held on June 17, 2013, at the World Trade Centre’s Congress Centre, 12, Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, Moscow.
The Board also approved the record date of April 30, 2013, for registered shareholders eligible to participate in the AGM and entitled to receive the dividend for 2012.
Rostelecom’s Board of Directors recommended that the AGM approves a 2012 dividend payment of RUB 8.17 billion, or 25% of the Company’s net profit for 2012 in accordance with Russian Accounting Standards (RAS), which amounts to 23.18% of the net profit for 2012 according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and consists of:
- RUB 4.1022 per Class A preferred share (a total of 3.05% of 2012 net profit under RAS or 2.83% of 2012 net profit under IFRS will be distributed as a payment under this share class)
- RUB 2.4369 per ordinary share (a total of 21.95% of 2012 net profit under RAS or 20.35% of 2012 net profit under IFRS will be distributed as a payment under this share class)
Ivan Rodionov, Chairman of Rostelecom’s Board of Directors, commented: “The Board of Directors supported the management’s initiative to keep a substantial portion of the Company’s net profit for the Company's development by allocating funds for the use of new technologies and the modernising of network infrastructure to improve the Company’s competitiveness and guarantee Rostelecom’s technological leadership within the shortest timeframe.”
The 2013 AGM materials will be available on Rostelecom’s official website 30 days prior to the meeting at http://www.rostelecom.ru/ir/agm/ .
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For more information please visit http://www.rostelecom.ru/en/ir or contact:
“Rostelecom Investor Relations / Rostelecom IR” application for iPhone and iPad is now available to download for free from the Apple App Store via: https://itunes.apple.com/ru/app/rostelecom-in...70946?mt=8 .
Investor Relations Department
Tel. +7 (499) 995 97 80
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Rostelecom ( www.rostelecom.ru ) is Russia’s largest national telecommunications operator with presence in all Russian regions. The Group is a universal operator and undisputable leader of broadband and pay-TV markets in Russia with over 9.2 million fixed-line broadband subscribers and over 6.6 million pay-TV subscribers. As Rostelecom develops its mobile data networks, its position as a major mobile operator is growing with over 13.5 million currently subscribed to Rostelecom’s mobile voice services. The Group is also an important innovator that provides solutions in the field of medicine, E-Government, cloud computing and education.
Rostelecom was assigned a ‘BBB-’ and ‘BB+’ international credit ratings by Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s respectively, both with a ‘Stable’ outlook. The Group generated RUB 321.3 billion of consolidated revenues, RUB 118.6 billion of OIBDA (36.9% of revenues) and RUB 35.2 billion of net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012.
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Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby.
Those forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:
· Management’s assessment of the Company’s future operating and financial results as well as forecasts of the present value of future cash flows and related factors;
· the Company’s anticipated capital expenditures and plans to construct and modernize its network;
· the Company’s expectations as to the growth in demand for its services, plans relating to the expansion of the range of its services and their pricing;
· the Company’s plans with respect to improving its corporate governance practices;
· the Company’s expectations as to its position in the telecommunications market and the development of the market segments within which the Company operates;
· economic outlook and industry trends;
· the Company’s expectations as to the regulation of the Russian telecommunications industry and assessment of impact of regulatory initiatives on the Company’s activity;
· other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts.
Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include:
· risks relating to changes in political, economic and social conditions in Russia as well as changes in global economic conditions;
· risks relating to Russian legislation, regulation and taxation, including laws, regulations, decrees and decisions governing the Russian telecommunications industry, securities industry as well as currency and exchange controls relating to Russian entities and their official interpretation by regulatory bodies;
· risks relating to the Company, including the achievement of the anticipated results, levels of profitability and growth, ability to create and meet demand for the Company’s services including their promotions, and the ability of the Company to remain competitive in a liberalized telecommunications market;
· technological risks associated with the functioning and development of the telecommunications infrastructure, technological innovations as well as the convergence of technologies;
· other risks and uncertainties. For a more detailed discussion of these and other factors, see the Company’s Annual Report and the Company’s other public filings.
Many of these factors are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict. Given these and other uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of the forward-looking statements contained herein or otherwise. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements (which are made as of the date hereof) to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable laws.
