Sonera (SNRA) : The next Nokia ? | Stock Discussion Forums

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks Sonera (SNRA) : The next Nokia ?

Previous 10 Next 10

To: MrGreenJeans who wrote (75)	7/23/2000 9:01:17 PM
From: Joar	of 101

Concerning Vodafone/Sonera again: Stumbled on this post by myself from the 2 of March: Message 13024724 The thing was topical already then. And, that post also answers the question about the probable impact on SNRA stock price after a possible VOD involvement: up. Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: AmericanVoter who started this subject	7/24/2000 5:20:10 AM
From: Joar	of 101

Sonera sells holding in Voicestream to Deutche Telecom for USD 3.7 billion ------------------------------------------ July 24, 2000, 8:45 a.m. Sonera to sell its holding in Voicestream to Deutche Telecom for USD 3.7 billion Sonera Corporation (HEX: SRA, Nasdaq: SNRA) has decided to accept, for its part, the general offer of Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany to purchase the entire share capital of the US GSM operator VoiceStream Wireless Corporation (NASDAQ: VSTR). - The deal is an excellent solution for all those concerned. The notable proceeds we receive from the VoiceStream shares will improve our possibilities of focusing on supporting the growth of our core businesses, the mobile communications and service businesses, in the future, says Kaj-Erik Relander, Deputy CEO of Sonera. Sonera is one of the group holding a majority of the shares of VoiceStream that has agreed to vote in favor of the acquisition. This shareholder group has also agreed to retain at least 82.5 % of their holdings in VoiceStream until deal closing, expected in the first half of 2001. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in the U.S. and European Union, approval by VoiceStream shareholders, and customary closing conditions. Deutsche Telekom will pay for the shares partly in cash and partly with its own shares. The price paid for one VoiceStream share is USD 30 in cash and 3.2 Deutsche Telekom shares. Based on last Friday's NYSE closing prices (NYSE: DT, USD 51.50 per share) Deutsche Telekom will pay USD 194.80 for each VoiceStream common share. The closing price of the VoiceStream share on NASDAQ on Friday, July 21, 2000 was USD 149.75 per share. The Sonera Group owns 18,975,773 million VoiceStream shares altogether. Based on last Friday's closing prices, the total price to be paid to Sonera will thus be USD 3,696 million, in the form of a cash payment of USD 569 million and 60,722,474 Deutsche Telekom shares. The Deutsche Telekom shares that Sonera receives as consideration represent approximately 1.7% of the company's share capital. Sonera's has invested in VoiceStream a total of USD 930 million. - The fact that we sell our VoiceStream shares will not affect our service operations strategy in the US. The USA is a major market for Sonera's developing service and technology businesses, both because of its size and its potential for large number of transactions per subscription, says Relander. SONERA CORPORATION Jari Jaakkola Executive Vice President Corporate Communications and IR --------------------------------------------- sonera.fi Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: AmericanVoter who started this subject	7/24/2000 12:49:08 PM
From: Joar	of 101

Sonera dives on lower H1 earnings ------------------------------------------------ HELSINKI, July 24 (Reuters) - Shares in Finnish telecom operator Sonera <SRA1V.HE><SNRA.O> sank on Monday after the company reported comparable first-half results below forecasts. At 0951 GMT, Sonera traded at 47.70 euros, down 5.4 percent and was seen falling further, dragging the HEX general index <.HEX> off session peaks. "The comparable result was clearly lower than expectations," one broker said. Sonera posted a first-half profit before extras of 1.06 billion euros, well up on last year's 224 million but boosted by a gain of 835 million linked to the merger of U.S. operators Aerial and VoiceStream <VSTR.O>. Without the gain, Sonera's profit was 220 million euros, which was below the market's consensus forecast for a six-month profit of 231 million euros. The share reversed earlier gains that it had scored on news it would sell it 7.9 percent stake in U.S. mobile operator VoiceStream to Deutsche Telekom <DTEGn.DE> for $3.7 billion in cash and stock. ((John Acher, Helsinki newsroom +358-9-680 50 235, fax +358-9-680 2284, news@reuters.fi)) REUTERS Rtr 06:02 07-24-00 nasdaq.com -------------------------------------- Interim report in detail: sonera.fi -------------------------------------- Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read Read Replies (1)

To: Joar who wrote (79)	8/13/2000 11:48:43 PM
From: Secret_Agent_Man	of 101

Orange said to bid $30 bln for Sonera By Ivar M Simensen, FTMarketWatch 2:48:00 PM BST Aug 13, 2000 LONDON (FTMW) – British mobile phone operator Orange is preparing a $30 billion offer for Sonera, the Finnish operator, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph. The bid could be launched before Orange’s planned IPO before the end of the year, the report said. When France Telecom [FR:013330] bought Orange earlier this year it aimed to build a global mobile phone business based around Orange. Michel Bon, the CEO of France Telecom, is believed to have been talking to the Finnish group. Sonera [SNRA] and Orange had already established strategic links when they decided to bid together for a German UMTS license. But Orange withdrew from the group because France Telecom is bidding for a license of its own. More about the German UMTS auction. Sonera has more than 60 percent of the Finnish market and holds a strong position in Turkey, through its stake in Turkcell. The Finnish government currently owns 53 percent of Sonera but is expected to sell down its stake. Sonera is perceived to be at the forefront of the mobile technology and has attracted the attention of other companies, such as Deutsche Telekom [DE:555750]. Deutsche Telekom is thought to have moved away from making a bid after launching an offer for Voicestream [VSTR] of the U.S. See full story. Ivar Simensen is a reporter for FTMarketWatch in London

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read Read Replies (1)

To: Secret_Agent_Man who wrote (80)	8/16/2000 9:36:03 AM
From: Joar	of 101

Telefónica another potential buyer for Sonera Spanish telco Telefónica has announced its intention to enter the race to buy Finnish counterpart Sonera. According Telefónica, its mobile division Telefónica Moviles has approached Sonera about the potential acquisition and requested a valuation of the company; analysts predict Sonera to have a market capitalisation of approximately USD28 billion. It is believed that Telefónica’s announcement is prompted by its concern for the future of Group 3G, the consortium it has formed with Sonera to bid for a 3G licence in Germany. Sonera has confirmed however that it will not enter into any negotiations until after the completion of the German licensing process. Having pulled out of the UK auction earlier this year, Telefónica needs to be successful in Germany in order to safeguard its mobile future in Europe. The news of Telefónica’s interest in Sonera follows yesterdays press reports that UK mobile operator Orange had entered into talks with the Finnish operator. Speculation is also mounting that there may be a bid on the horizon from BT, although this has not been confirmed by the British operator. citpubs.com /Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: AmericanVoter who started this subject	8/16/2000 2:52:00 PM
From: Joar	of 101

//The Netherlands sees first launch of Zed mobile services outside Finland August 15, 2000 Sonera Zed, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonera Corporation, today launched its mobile value added services through KPN's mobile network in the Netherlands. Zed turns the mobile device into a personalised communications and information portal. It enables flexible, easy-to-use communication, information and entertainment services, and is available in the Netherlands via the KPN network. The Zed brand was launched in Finland - the most advanced market for mobile communications in the world - in October 1999. Zed already has more than 700,000 regular users a month in Finland. Henk Buurman, CEO Sonera Zed Nederland BV said: "As Dutch consumers have an advanced understanding of mobile technology, we are very pleased that Holland will be the first launch country in the rollout of Zed across the world. The high level of mobile penetration and positive attitude towards mobile services make the Netherlands the ideal launch pad for Zed." Zed is currently working with operator partners in the USA (Powertel), Turkey (Turkcell), Germany (Hutchison Telecom), Singapore (Mobile One) and the Philippines (Smart Communications) as part of a considerable expansion in key global markets. The UK service is also expected to be launched later this year. Zed's further launches will include several key markets around the globe, with announcements to be made in the near future. Zed's services range from comprehensive business and travel information to leisure and entertainment guides. Currently available over an SMS platform, users can send a short, memorable key word text message to Zed, and the service will respond with the chosen information. For example, Zed can get you out of a traffic jam, tell you what you can see at your local cinema, or let you know when your football team wins an important game. By logging on to the supporting website, www.zed.com, users can personalise Zed to complement their lifestyles. Zed will deliver the information they want at the specified time they need it. Juha Varelius, Global CEO of Sonera Zed said: "One of the most important features of Zed is that it understands the user's mobility and need for freedom. We have taken into account the various situations where the need for information arises when setting up the content and applications. Zed gathers up both international and local services that are essential to a mobile user and then provides the services in the user's local language. We believe that this is what makes Zed extremely attractive not only to our customers, but also to all our partners, both operators and content suppliers." Later this year Zed's services will also be available via WAP in the key markets, although WAP has been in use in Finland for some time. With its unique combination of WAP and SMS services the Zed service is independent of technology and device, making it one of the most flexible portals on the market. About Zed Zed is a pioneer in global personalised intelligent services for wireless devices combining the best features of mobile communications and the Internet. Zed was conceived, designed and built to support and promote true mobility in both consumer and corporate environments. The range of Zed services turn the wireless device into a communications, information and mobile commerce tool. Currently Zed services are available in SMS and WAP environments, with the ability to expand the services into future technologies, GPRS and UMTS. At the end of June 2000, Zed had over 700,000 monthly users out of Sonera's 2.2million GSM customers in Finland. Of these active Zed customers, 30% had registered at Zed's Finnish website in order to personalise their services. Sonera Zed Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sonera Corporation. Zed's headquarters are located in the UK. More information on Zed can be found at zed.com. For further information please contact: Hill and Knowlton UK Katie Jones@hillandknowlton.com Jeannette Crockett@hillandknowlton.com Tel: +44 207 413 3000 Sonera Zed Ltd Chembi Merser chembi.merser@sonera.com Tel: +44 208 606 6000 Sonera (HEX: SRA, NASDAQ: SNRA) is an international forerunner in mobile communications and mobile-based services and applications. By combining its expertise in mobile communications, the Internet and service provision, Sonera aims to develop into a global communications operator and provider of transaction and content services. The company also provides advanced data communications solutions to businesses, and fixed network voice services in Finland and its nearby areas. In 1999, Sonera's revenues amounted to EUR 1.85 billion and profit before extraordinary items and taxes was EUR 0.5 billion. // sonera.fi /Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read Read Replies (2)

To: Joar who wrote (82)	8/18/2000 1:32:50 PM
From: jopawa	of 101

From Bloomberg: Rate of Return Fri, 18 Aug 2000, 1:27pm EDT Sonera Fight May Bruise European Bond Holders: Rates of Return By Alice James London, Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Whoever wins the fight for Sonera Oyj, Finland's largest mobile phone company, is likely to see its bonds suffer, making it harder to sell more debt to help pay the bill of at least $28 billion, analysts said. European phone companies are already committed to paying $116 billion for high-speed cellular licenses, including $46 billion in Germany's auction, which ended today. They've also borrowed record amounts to pay for acquisitions this year, including Vodafone Group Plc's $186 billion takeover of Mannesmann AG, the second- largest merger ever. Sonera's buyer will struggle ``especially given it is likely to be someone with a pan-European strategy who will be bidding for licenses anyway,'' said Stephen Holmes, who helps oversee 89.3 billion pounds ($134 billion) at Fleming Investment Management. ``I'm still not buying investment-grade telecom bonds.'' Finland's government won parliamentary approval to sell its 53 percent stake in Sonera, and analysts say it will want at least 65 percent cash, some $9.6 billion, based on the company's market value. Telefonica SA, Spain's largest telecommunications company, said it's considering bidding, while Deutsche Telekom AG, Vodafone, British Telecommunications Plc, Royal KPN NV and Orange Plc are among the other potential buyers suggested by newspapers including the Financial Times. Those companies already owe bondholders more than $105 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations, and whichever succeeds will also end up with Sonera's $2 billion of outstanding debt. Deutsche Telekom, British Telecom and Vodafone were among the winners in Germany's license auction. Sonera and Telefonica were partners in one of the winning bids. Damage License fees many times greater than governments originally expected have damaged outstanding debt. The 500 million euros of seven-year bonds Telefonica sold in March yield 112 basis points more than bunds, double the yield spread when they were issued. They've lost 1.2 percent, while bunds have returned 1.3 percent over the same period, according to Bloomberg calculations. Simon Ballard, a market strategist at Bear, Stearns International, recommends ``caution towards spreads on telecom bonds'' as supply booms. Sonera's price tag ``could be too rich.'' Speculation that Sonera could soon be bought ``underlines the current trend in the European telecom industry for continued restructuring and consolidation.'' Deutsche Telekom is already paying $50.5 billion for VoiceStream Wireless Corp. of the U.S., a price that values each client at $24,217. That's more than seven times the $3,392 Vodafone paid for each U.S. customer when it bought AirTouch Communications last year, and 3.6 times what France Telecom is paying for each of Orange's subscribers. Funding Takeovers Companies have funded their takeovers by refinancing initial bank loans through the corporate bond market. That's the route Vodafone followed when it bought Mannesmann. BT and Telefonica plan to sell bonds later this year to pay off loans. Phone companies in Europe borrowed $122.5 billion from banks during the first half, according to Thomson Financial Securities Data, more than double the amount raised during the year-earlier period. Sonera won't come cheap -- its shares trade at 80 times estimated earnings, while Deutsche Telekom and many other former monopolies trade below 60. A $28 billion invoice would value each of each of its 2.24 million mobile subscribers at about $12,500. Things could be worse, though -- one consolation for bond holders is that buying Sonera may cost a lot less than it would have earlier this year. The company's shares have halved since concern over license costs first surfaced. The shares currently fetch 44.05 euros, down from as much as 95.49 euros in March. Falling Shares Shares of other phone companies are tumbling too, though. All of the other successful bidders in the German license auction have declined as the costs of Europe's permits climbed. On a six-month basis, Vodafone has dropped 14 percent, Telefonica is down 16 percent, France Telecom has slid 17 percent, British Telecom has declined 18 percent, KPN fell 37 percent, and Deutsche Telekom has tumbled 48 percent. Europe's telecommunications shares have lost 17 percent this year, making them the second worst performing group in Europe according to Dow Jones Stoxx rankings. Companies are paying so much for the rights to frequencies that they will struggle recoup their spending, some investors said. ``They are not just borrowing to buy licenses and acquisitions -- they need to install state-of-the-art technology'' to use those licenses, and also to keep current customers and tempt more, said Fleming's Holmes. ``The more expensive these licences get, the harder it will be to make money out of them. The big risk is that they spend billions on it and not enough people use it.''

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: Joar who wrote (82)	8/18/2000 1:35:15 PM
From: jopawa	of 101

Europe Sonera, Adding Wireless Services, Shows That Small Can Be Expensive By Nick Watson Senior European Correspondent 8/15/00 6:02 PM ET URL: thestreet.com LONDON -- In the wireless world, scale is said to be everything. Now the mobile operators chasing after Finland's Sonera (SNRA:Nasdaq ADR) are finding that innovation counts for a lot, too. It was just a matter of time before Sonera, which operates largely in niche markets and has only 6 million subscribers, would find itself attractive to firms like France Telecom's (FTE:NYSE ADR) Orange and Telefonica (TEF:NYSE ADR). Sonera itself admitted as much by announcing that it was looking at a number of alternatives, including joining with a larger competitor. TSC reported in May that traders were focusing on the possibility of a Sonera-Vodafone linkup, although both companies denied the talk. Yet Sonera is not simply selling out, nor does it need to. Sonera is pioneering the move from being a purely wireless carrier to one that offers wireless services, something that analysts argue all operators will have to do as access rates continue to fall. As a result, Sonera, with its new service businesses, is actually in a pretty strong bargaining position. Services From A to Zed Its two fast-growing businesses attracting the greatest amount of attention are Zed and SmartTrust. Zed is a mobile portal that was launched last October. It offers data on both the short message services, or SMS, and wireless application protocol, or WAP, platforms to about 15 million potential users. Zed has seven contracts with network operators, including Holland's KPN Mobile (KPN:NYSE ADR), America's Powertel and Hutchison Telecom in Germany. Zed is aiming to offer its services to 30 million potential users by the end of 2000 and, judging by first-half results released last month, it's well ahead of these expectations. The brokerage Handelsbanken expects Zed to cover a potential 60 million users by the end of 2003. SmartTrust is involved in the potentially huge market for security systems for mobile commerce, widely known as m-commerce. As operators roll out universal mobile telecommunications services, or UMTS, users will be able to make banking transactions over mobile phones, which increases the need for security. Although companies like Baltimore Technologies (BALT:Nasdaq ADR) and Entrust Technologies (ENTU:Nasdaq ADR) are also working on offering wireless security systems, SmartTrust is one of the few companies devoted to wireless systems only. Sonera is unsurprisingly very optimistic about both divisions. When the company announced first-half earnings, it said it intends to accelerate its 200 million euro ($183 million) investment plan in them. Analysts expect the two divisions to contribute almost a third of Sonera's total revenues by the end of 2003. While the company and many analysts realize the value of the new service businesses, the market clearly doesn't. Sonera closed Monday at 41.70 euros, far short of the fair values analysts are placing on the company. The Missing Value Investors fail to add in Sonera's new businesses. John Karidis, an analyst at Commerzbank, puts Sonera's fair value at 58 euros, implying a potential upside of 38% from Monday's closing price. Karidis believes the domestic mobile and fixed business is worth 23 euros, holdings in foreign companies like Turkcell are worth 18 euros and the new service businesses 17 euros. The models of the new businesses are still in the very early stages, however, making it hard to place a value on them. That is why, according to Visa Manninen, an analyst at Carnegie, Sonera plans to hold a conference on Sep. 5 to "shed more light on the NSBs [new service businesses] and their business models, and give an idea to analysts about how their current valuation is too low." Manninen says at this meeting Sonera will also announce separate stock market listings for Zed and SmartTrust, probably by the end of next April. Commerzbank's Karidis says these separate listings will achieve three things: Provide Sonera with stock as acquisition currency for these new businesses, allow the company to reward employees with stock options and, of course, gain a truer market value for the businesses. Carnegie's Manninen argues Sonera is ultimately aiming to merge its mobile networks with a larger entity and continue as an independent holding company focusing on the new service businesses. If that's the case, then Orange, one of the potential suitors, will pull out of any negotiations pretty quickly. Orange's chief executive, Hans Snook, indicated on Monday that his company is looking specifically at the areas where Sonera is "about six to eight months ahead"; in other words, the new service businesses. If Orange's rivals for the Finnish firm feel the same way, then "whoever buys Sonera will have to buy the whole company," argues Commerzbank's Karidis. And that's likely to be an expensive proposition, proving that in the wireless world size might not be everything after all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2000 TheStreet.com, All Rights Reserved.

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: AmericanVoter who started this subject	8/24/2000 1:35:03 PM
From: Joar	of 101

Sonera and Telefónica will register Intention of Interest in Italian licence auction August 23, 2000, 11:10 a.m. Sonera Corporation will join the Ipse 2000 consortium, which Telefónica S.A. has established for the application of a third generation mobile network licence in Italy. Ipse 2000 will register an Intention of Interest in the Italian licence auction on August 24. Sonera's holding in the consortium will be less than 20%. The ownership structure of the consortium is still open and will be settled by September 11, which is the pre-qualification deadline in the Italian application process. The actual auction will begin in October. Group 3G, a joint venture of Sonera (42.8%) and Telefónica (57.2%), was granted a third generation mobile communications licence in Germany last week. In addition, Sonera has a 3G mobile network licence in Finland, and Sonera's associated company Xfera S.A. (Sonera 15%) holds a corresponding licence in Spain. Together with Enitel AS of Norway, Sonera has applied for a third generation mobile communications licence in Norway. In addition, Sonera has registered an interest in the Swiss application process. sonera.fi /Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read

To: AmericanVoter who started this subject	9/26/2000 10:26:39 AM
From: Joar	of 101

Sonera zed To Launch Mobile chatting and other WAP Services At PCIA GlobalXchange 2000 CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2000-- Integrated WAP Services To Include a Full Suite of Easy to Use Services For the Young Trendsetter and Mobile Professional Sonera zed u.s., inc. is launching its WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) services today at PCIA GlobalXchange 2000, booth #3748, in Chicago. Sonera zed, a subsidiary of Sonera Corporation (Nasdaq: SNRA), is a pioneer in global personalized intelligent services for wireless devices combining the best features of mobile communications and the Internet. Zed's WAP services will be commercially available in the first quarter of 2001. Zed's WAP offering is designed to simplify and enhance consumer lives. Zed allows a personalized and seamless access to relevant services through its intuitive and easy-to-use navigation. Users can customize menus, set personal profiles and receive personalized alerts. The most unique feature is zed's capability to pass relevant content from one application to the other, i.e. the address of a restaurant from Zagat can be added to user's contact book or designated as the end point for driving directions. The review can then be sent to a friend as a recommendation. "Our goal in designing our WAP offering has been to seamlessly integrate various applications and therefore reduce the number of key strokes required to achieve desired functionalities," said Ilkka Aura, Vice President Product and Strategy. For the carrier, zed provides a one-stop shop for providing these services to end-users. This includes the compelling content services (such as Zagat's Guide, Fodor's Hotel Guide and Warner/Chappell Music ringing tones), technology platform and implementation. "WAP services will help to increase mobile phone adoption in the U.S.," said Sohrab Torabi, m-Commerce Analyst at Datamonitor. "PC-based Internet access has become mainstream. WAP-enabled services will be the bridge for consumers to experience true functionality with their wireless devices." All of zed's WAP services have been designed to integrate with other zed tools. For example, users can access and store personal information in the contact book. In addition, zed provides a history function, allowing one to save previously referenced information for future use, i.e. driving directions to a restaurant. "Our WAP offering allows you to organize your time, manage your relationships and keep yourself informed while on the move," said Paul Hughes, COO of Sonera zed U.S. "The introduction of WAP services is just the beginning of zed's offering in the U.S. We fully expect to leverage our experience with consumer needs to continually introduce new value-added services such as tailored offerings for the young trendsetter and the mobile professional." The following WAP services will be demonstrated at PCIA GlobalXchange 2000: -- Mobile communities - zed connects mobile chat users in touch with other users, allowing users to create their own communities with others that have a common interest or connection. -- Entertainment - Jokes, trivia, horoscopes and games. -- Information Services - Personalized information such as news headlines, weather, sports, stocks, traffic reports and driving directions. -- Planning - Contact book, history and alerts. -- Travel - Access flight arrival and departure schedules tracked by flight number, city, date and time. Schedule change alerts are also sent to the handset. -- Find - Search for a person, business, restaurant or hotel. About Sonera zed zed is a global pioneer in personalized intelligent services for wireless devices combining the best features of mobile communications and the Internet. zed was conceived, designed and built to support and promote true mobility in both consumer and corporate environments. The range of zed services turn the wireless device into a communications, information and mobile commerce tool. Currently zed services are available in WAP and SMS environments, with the ability to expand the services into future technologies, GPRS and UMTS. At the end of June 2000, zed had over 700,000 monthly users out of Sonera's 2.2 million GSM customers in Finland. Of these active zed customers, 30% had registered at zed's Finnish website in order to personalize their services. Sonera zed ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonera Corporation (HEX: SRA; NASDAQ: SNRA, www.sonera.com). zed's US headquarters are in Boston, MA, with global headquarters in the UK. More information on zed can be found at zed.com. CONTACT: Hill and Knowlton Inc. Raymond Yeung, 212/885-0300 Email: ryeung@hillandknowlton.com or Sonera zed u.s. inc. Eija Hautaniemi, 877/947-4933 Email: eija.hautaniemi@sonera.com nasdaq.com /Joar

Share	RecommendKeepReply Mark as Last Read