(Adds detail, analyst's comment, market reaction.)
By Giada Zampano
OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
ROME -(Dow Jones)- Telecom Italia SpA (TI) Thursday clinched a deal to sell its German broadband unit Hansenet to Telefonica SA (TEF) for EUR900 million, as part of its efforts to focus on core assets and reduce its heavy debt burden.
Italy's largest telecommunication operator said the Hansenet sale will accelerate the reduction of its closely watched net debt, which stood at EUR35.5 billion at end-September.
It now forecast its net debt to fall to EUR34 billion at year-end, not taking into account the HanseNet sale, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. The Italian operator also confirmed its targets for 2009, as margins rose in the third quarter on improved profitability in its Italian core market due to cost-cutting and .
Telecom Italia shares briefly spiked after the announcement of Hansenet sale as investors cheered Telecom Italia's confirmed guidance and the long-awaited disposal of the unit. The shares closed up 2.1% to EUR1.14, outperforming an overall positive Italian market.
Analysts had valued Hansenet at around EUR980 million.
"The sale price is not high, but it's good news for Telecom Italia's debt. Third-quarter results also highlighted an improving trend in margins," said GestiRE asset manager Gianpaolo Rivano.
Hansenet's buy will give Spain's Telefonica, a key Telecom Italia shareholder, an influx of 2.3 million broadband customers, bulking up its high speed Internet offer in the highly-competitive German telecoms market.
Telecom Italia said its reported third-quarter net profit, including Hansenet, grew to EUR741 million in the third quarter from EUR626 million a year earlier. Profit increased despite a 5.6% fall in revenue to EUR6.7 billion, as margins improved due to cost cutting and as a recent price war in Italy abated.
The company's organic Ebitda margin, which strips out special items, was 44.2% in the third quarter from 41.8% the year before. Margins in its Brazilian operations were stable.
The sale of Hansenet is part of Telecom Italia's plan to shed non-core assets for up to EUR3 billion. The assets earmarked for sale also included international cable unit Sparkle and Cuban unit Etecsa.
Company Web site: www.telecomitalia.com
-By Giada Zampano, Dow Jones Newswires; +39 06 69766925; giada.zampano@dowjones.com