UPDATE 1-Indonesia's Telkom Q3 net profit up 24.19 pct<http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSJAK44029720091030?sp=true> Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:23am EDT
* Q3 net profit up 24 percent to 3.26 trillion rupiah * Q3 revenue up 14 percent to 16.44 trillion rupiah * Shares up 1.2 pct after results, underperform market (Adds detail) JAKARTA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Indonesia's largest telecom firm, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (TLKM.JK: Quote<http://www.reuters.com/stocks/quote?symbol=TLKM.JK>, Profile <http://www.reuters.com/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=TLKM.JK>, Research <http://www.reuters.com/stocks/researchReports?symbol=TLKM.JK>, Stock Buzz <http://reuters.socialpicks.com/stock/r/TLKM0RG>), posted a 24 percent rise in third quarter net profit, boosted by growth in its mobile and data services. Indonesia's mobile telephone market is growing increasingly competitive, with new entrants forcing mobile operators to spend more on promotions and reduce their charges. But Telkom's President Director Rinaldi Firmansyah has said the firm expects profit to grow around 5-10 percent in 2009, helped by a strengthening rupiah and as the price war among operators has become less intense. [ID:nJAK254517] Telkom, which controls 65 percent of PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel) -- the largest mobile phone operator in the country with around 50 percent market share -- posted a 23 percent increase in the third quarter cellular revenue to 7.5 trillion rupiah ($785 million). Revenue from data services rose 29.9 percent in the same period to 4.5 trillion rupiah from 3.46 trillion rupiah last year. The figures were calculated by Reuters based on nine-month and first half earnings reported by the company. The firm also posted a foreign exchange gain of 774.8 billion rupiah in the first nine months, compared to forex loss of 63.8 billion rupiah in the same year ago period, supported by a firm rupiah IDR=<http://www.reuters.com/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=IDR&destCurr=USD> . The rupiah has been a strong performer this year, gaining 15.7 percent. Indonesia is among the few countries in the region expected to post positive growth this year, supported by robust domestic demand. Telkom's July-September net profit rose to 3.26 trillion rupiah from 2.62 trillion rupiah, while revenue grew 14 percent to 16.4 trillion rupiah. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S expect Telkom to post a net profit of 12 trillion rupiah in 2009, compared to 10.6 trillion rupiah in 2008. Shares in Telkom, which has a stock market value of about $17.3 billion, were trading up 1.2 percent as of 0439 GMT, compared to a 2.4 percent rise in the broader market .JKSE<http://www.reuters.com/finance/markets/index?symbol=id%21jsc>. ($1 = 9,580 rupiah) (Reporting by Tyagita Silka; Editing by Lincoln Feast<http://blogs.reuters.com/search/journalist.php?edition=us&n=lincoln.feast&;>) ======= BUY, BUY, BUY! KEEP BUYING AND NEVER SELL!
