Orange reports 2.3% fall in Q4 core operating profit

PARIS: Orange, France’s biggest telecoms groups, reported a 2.3% drop in core operating profit in the fourth quarter as the coronavirus crisis and falling sales in Spain bit margins.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation after leases (EBITDAaL) fell to 3.18 billion euros ($3.83 billion) over the last three months of 2020 from about 3.29 billion euros a year earlier.

This was in line with the average of 14 analyst estimates compiled by the company of 3.2 billion euros.