Kyivstar Lifts Financial Outlook Again Amid Robust H1 Earnings and Growth
Kyivstar's Upgraded Financial Performance and Strategic Growth
Strong First Half Earnings Drive Outlook Revision
July 31 (Reuters) - Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar raised its financial outlook for the second time this year on Friday, saying it expected momentum to remain strong in the second half after posting double-digit earnings growth in the first six months.
Revised Revenue and Profit Targets for 2026
The Nasdaq-listed company now targets revenue growth in U.S. dollars of between 14% and 16% in 2026, up from a prior range of 11% to 14%. Full-year core profit is also expected to rise between 9% and 12%, versus 7% to 10% previously.
Strategic Acquisitions Fuel Resilience
Kyivstar has boosted earnings despite the war in Ukraine through a string of acquisitions spanning energy, ride-hailing and healthcare services. The strategy has supported growth even as the war weighed on sentiment and the company continued spending on Ukraine's strained telecoms network.
Key Financial Highlights
- Q2 revenue was $339 million, beating the average expectation of $326.08 million from analysts polled by LSEG.
- EBITDA grew 13.7% year-on-year to $188 million.
- The company said second-quarter digital revenue grew by 81%.
- Kyivstar said it had 21.8 million mobile subscribers in Ukraine as of June 30.
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
