StarHub Q3 earnings slip on operating costs

Singapore

STARHUB'S cost of sales raced ahead of revenue growth in the third quarter, fuelling a 12.8 per cent year-on-year slide in the telco's earnings.

Net profit was S$57 million for the three months to Sept 30, according to results on Friday, while revenue rose by 3 per cent to S$582.2 million.

Premium handset and smart home equipment sales gave a fillip to the top line, contributing S$122.6 million, or 24.4 per cent more than in the same period the previous year.

But service revenue dipped by 1.5 per cent to S$459.6 million, as enterprise fixed service growth and stable broadband turnover could not make up for the declines in mobile and pay-tel…