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Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bingo who wrote (1302)	10/23/1998 6:18:00 PM
From: Roy F	Respond to of 3175

Bingo, The only thing I've seen that could be interpreted as negative is the equipment thing in L.A. biz.yahoo.com Regards, Roy

To: Bingo who wrote (1302)	10/23/1998 7:06:00 PM
From: Maven	Respond to of 3175

Why did ATI drop 3½ after reporting such dynamite earnings? Simply because the stock ran up in ANTICIPATION of those better-than-hoped-for results. This is an example of the workings of that old adage, "Buy on the rumor, SELL on the news". R. S. Sheldon

To: Bingo who wrote (1302)	10/24/1998 8:36:00 AM
From: Roy F	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3175

Airtouch posts best third quarter ever October 23, 1998 04:29 AM (Adds details, CEO's interview, changes dateline; pvs SAN FRANCISCO) By Mark Egan LOS ANGELES, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Wireless services giant AirTouch Communications ATI on Thursday reported its best third quarter ever -- a 40 percent jump in profits to $178 million -- boosted by strong sales overseas despite increased competition at home. The company, which offers service to cellular, paging and PCS (personal communications services) customers, posted net earnings of 30 cents a share, up from 25 cents, or $127 million, a year ago. Revenues rose to $1.96 billion from $1.58 billion as the company added 1.09 million new customers. San Francisco-based AirTouch said that despite the global economic crisis, its international ventures showed the strongest growth, adding 735,000 subscribers -- double the figure added in last year's third quarter. "Stellar execution, along with the public's continuing hunger for mobile communications, helped AirTouch achieve its best quarter ever in the face of economic uncertainty around the world," Chief Executive Sam Ginn said. International operations accounted for more than half of the quarter's revenue growth. "This year almost three-quarters of our additional customers came from the international market and I don't see that changing," Ginn told Reuters in an interview. "We are becoming increasingly an international company." Ginn noted that the global economic crisis has not had any discernible impact on AirTouch because the usage of wireless systems abroad was far below its potential. The global crisis could eventually impact the company, possibly in a positive way, Ginn said, noting that some of its partners in countries such as Japan and Korea might find it difficult to make the capital investments needed to expand, giving AirTouch the opportunity to increase its stake in some overseas ventures. "That provides an opportunity for AirTouch to increase its investments in those parts of the world, which we think are going to come back rather robustly," he said. The company said its domestic operations fared well despite increasing competition and falling prices. AirTouch said U.S. average monthly revenue per customer fell by 12 percent compared with last year, the smallest such drop in two years. The company offset this decline by cutting the monthly cost of servicing U.S. customers by 13 percent by improving operating efficiencies. "In the United States, we are feeling the heat of increasing competition. But we are fighting back," Ginn said, adding that the company expected more people will sign up for wireless phones as prices fall. Ginn said the company needed to reduce the cost of acquiring new customers. In the United States for example, where the company subsidizes analog and digital phone sets, it can cost between $275 and $300 to acquire one customer. "We need to bring those costs down and we have had some success with that," he said, adding that as the cost of sets decreases, the cost of new customers will also decrease. Ginn said AirTouch was considering acquisitions or alliances that would give it a nationwide presence in the United States, but said the company is not in active talks. "It is increasingly clear you need a nationwide footprint and you either have to get it by arrangements with other wireless companies or you have to buy your way into it and we are willing to do either," he said. AirTouch said it expected to meet its 1998 goal of adding more than 3 million cellular and PCS customers worldwide. The company's shares were unchanged at $53.25 in late New York Stock Exchange composite trading. ((Los Angeles Newsdesk 213-380-2014)) REUTERS