je.st
news
Comcast raises dividend as cable subscriber growth returns
2016-02-03 13:27:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) US cable operator Comcast showed a continued improvement in TV subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2015, adding a net 89,000 new customers, its best quarterly performance in nine years. The gradual improvement over the course of 2015 meant the company lost only 36,000 TV subscribers over the full year, to finish 2015 with a total base of 22.347 million. In broadband, net additions totaled 1.367 million in the year and 460,000 in Q4 to reach a total of 23.329 million subscribers. The bigger customer base, along with price increases and customers taking higher-tier and more services led to a 5.9 percent annual increase in cable revenues in the fourth quarter to USD 12.0 billion. Operating cash flow for cable rose a slower 4.6 percent to USD 4.9 billion. Comcast's net earnings were up 6.8 percent to USD 0.79 per share. After the strong results, Comcast said it's increasing its quarterly dividend by 10 percent to USD 1.10 per share and will start a programme to buy back up to USD 5 billion of its shares.
Tags: returns
growth
cable
subscriber
Category:Telecommunications