Mobile TeleSystems +4.9% on strong Q4 revenues, sales guidance

• Russian telecom Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE:MBT) is up 4.9% after beating expectations with Q4 earnings where revenues grew nearly 6% though operating profit fell.
• Adjusted OIBDA slipped 1.9% and operating profit fell off 17.4%. Net profit grew to 7.14B rubles from the previous 1.38B rubles, though.
• Active subscribers grew 3.5% in 2015, to 107.8M. Data traffic revenue in Russia was up 19.8% (to 77.2B rubles), and handset sales in Russia rose 37.4% (to 40.3B rubles).
• The company forecast a revenue increase of more than 4% this year, but new competition could drive core profits down. It guided to OIBDA growth ranging from -2% to 1% in 2016.
• Adjusted OIBDA margin fell to 40.7% last year.
• Conference call to begin at 11 a.m. ET.
• Press Release