Financial analysis of Telia Company

Telia Company’s FY2024 results paint a picture of a business in recovery, with profitability rebounding sharply from a recent trough even as the top line remains nearly flat. Revenue of just over SEK 89 billion inched up only slightly from the prior year, yet net income swung from a marginal SEK 0.9 billion in 2023 to SEK 7.8 billion—a resurgence that drove return on equity back to around 14 percent and lifted the net margin from roughly 1 percent to a more normalized 9 percent. The company holds a net cash position, with liquid resources exceeding interest‑bearing debt, while the stock traded at a modest trailing earnings multiple near 17 times.

The revenue trajectory appears stable but largely stalled, with a three‑year compound growth rate close to zero and a minor contraction over the two‑year period from 2022. What stands out instead is the margin recovery: operating margin more than doubled from 5.6 percent to 11.8 percent, and EBITDA grew over 120 percent year‑on‑year. However, a sizable portion of the bottom‑line improvement stems from discontinued operations, which contributed SEK 3.3 billion in profit. Profit from continuing operations, at SEK 4.5 billion, was healthier than the prior year but less dramatic. The reported 100 percent gross margin across both 2024 and 2023—contrasting with around 34 percent in earlier years—suggests a change in cost classification rather than any fundamental shift in economics; operating expenses capture what might previously have been shown as cost of sales. Consequently, margin comparisons with historical periods require caution.

The balance sheet carries a notable combination of strength and potential fragility. Telia’s net debt is negative, producing a negative debt‑to‑EBITDA ratio, and the company appears to have no traditional interest‑bearing borrowings left after substantial repayments. Yet non‑current liabilities remain substantial at over SEK 103 billion, predominantly consisting of lease obligations, deferred taxes, and provisions rather than bank debt. The quick ratio and current ratio both sit below 0.85, hinting at possible short‑term liquidity tightness despite a SEK 9.8 billion cash pile, likely because current payables are sizeable. A more structural concern could be the SEK 44.3 billion in goodwill and an additional SEK 21.2 billion in other intangible assets, together dwarfing total equity of SEK 59.4 billion. Any future impairment, reminiscent of the SEK 14.2 billion net loss in 2022, would heavily erode capital.