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Bombardier suffers biggest tumble on record after sales warning – BNNBloomberg.ca

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Bombardier Inc. fell the most on record after warning of disappointing fourth-quarter sales and revealing that it may exit a joint venture with Airbus SE that makes the A220 jetliner, potentially triggering a major writedown.

A ramp-up in A220 production will require additional cash investment, pushing back the break-even point and generating lower returns across the lifetime of the project, Bombardier said in a statement Thursday. The value of the A220 joint venture is likely to be diminished and the amount of any accounting charge will be disclosed with full 2019 results next month, the company said.

The potential end of Bombardier’s involvement in the A220 program is combining with new stumbles in the company’s rail business to undermine a once-great name in manufacturing — just when investors thought they were poised to reap the rewards of a difficult turnaround effort. Walking away from the A220 would close the book on Bombardier’s involvement in an aircraft program in which the company invested more than US$6 billion.

“The joke continues. Anyone involved with the story has a gun to their head,” said John O’Connell, chief executive officer of Davis Rea Ltd., who doesn’t hold Bombardier shares or bonds. “This company has been a disaster my whole career and I’m almost ready to retire.”

Bombardier plunged 30 per cent to US$1.25 at 12:56 p.m. in Toronto after sliding as much as 39 per cent for the biggest intraday tumble on record. That dragged shares to the lowest level in almost four years.

The company’s 7.85 per cent bonds due 2027 fell 6.2 cents, the most on record, to 96 cents on the dollar, yielding 8.6 per cent, according to Trace data. The US$1.5 billion in notes due 2025 dropped 3.9 cents to 98.1 cents on the dollar to yield 8 per cent, the highest since Oct. 31.

Bombardier needs to ‘just deliver’ what they promise: McGill’s Karl Moore

Karl Moore, professor of business strategy at McGill University, joins BNN Bloomberg to react to Bombardier slashing its outlook, warning on cash burn and considering pulling out of the A220 partnership with Airbus. He says that CEO Alain Bellemare has done an excellent job in a tough turnaround for the business.

Disappointing Sales

Bombardier, which is refocusing its operations on rail equipment and business jets, said fourth-quarter sales would be US$4.2 billion, trailing the lowest analyst estimate in a survey by Bloomberg

The results were dragged down in part by new challenges in the company’s faltering rail division, which generates about half of sales. The business got a black eye this month when New York removed 300 Bombardier-made subway cars from service because of door glitches. For the fourth quarter, the manufacturer said it would take a US$350 million accounting charge because of problems in London, Switzerland and Germany.

The timing of milestone payments also clipped results late last year, Montreal-based Bombardier said. So did the delay of some deliveries of the Global 7500 business jet into the first quarter of 2020.

Liquidity remains strong, with year-end cash on hand of roughly US$2.6 billion, Bombardier said. But the company is considering alternatives to accelerate debt reduction and strengthen its balance sheet. Full results are scheduled for Feb. 13.

“The final step in our turnaround is to de-lever and solve our capital structure,” Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said in the statement. “We are actively pursuing alternatives that would allow us to accelerate our debt paydown.”

Trouble is, Bombardier may be running out of sizable assets to sell to meet its cash needs, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson.

“Bombardier needs to get its rail business — the earnings and cash-flow driver — on track, while restructuring its aviation division in a soft business-jet market,” he said in a report.

Commercial-Jet Retreat

The potential end of Bombardier’s involvement in the A220 program would cap the company’s broader retreat from commercial-plane manufacturing.

Bombardier ceded control of the A220 last year to Airbus for no upfront cash. The plane — originally known as the C Series — won praise for its fuel-efficient engines, composite wings and large windows. But the program ran more than two years late and about US$2 billion over budget, and Bombardier had trouble finding buyers in an industry dominated by Airbus and Boeing Co.

Airbus said it would continue funding the A220 program “on its way to break-even.” The European aerospace giant owns a 50.01 per cent stake in the regional jet, with Bombardier retaining 31 per cent and state-backed Investissement Quebec holding some 19 per cent.

The jet added 63 orders in 2019, with 105 currently in service and a backlog of close to 500 planes. Airbus will begin producing the A220 on a second assembly line this year at its factory in Mobile, Alabama.

Bombardier agreed last year to sell a plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that makes wings for the A220. The buyer, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., is seeking to boost its exposure to Airbus programs after suffering as a supplier to Boeing’s grounded 737 Max.

The Canadian company also agreed to sell its regional-jet program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. 

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Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

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Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.

The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.

Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.

The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.

Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”

“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.

“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”

Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.

The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.

It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.

Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.

It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.

“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.

The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.

Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.

The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.

“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.

Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.

“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.

“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”

Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.

On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.

That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.

Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”

“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”

French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.

“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.

“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:T)

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

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