Orange raises 2026 profit outlook as markets outside France power growth
Orange raises 2026 profit outlook as markets outside France power growth Oct 27 (Reuters) - French telecoms group Orange ORAN.PA lifted its 2026 core profit growth target to above 4.5% on Tuesday, citing strength in Africa, Poland and Spain.
The raised profit outlook, which compares to a previous goal of above 4%, rests on growth outside France. Third-quarter revenue rose 14.2% in Africa and the Middle East and 7.9% in Poland, against 0.5% at home. Orange is counting on that growth to fund cash returns and the planned SFR takeover while its home market barely grows.
Orange España, the Spanish unit renamed from MasOrange last month, posted a 3.5% revenue jump to €1.91 billion ($2.13 billion) in its first quarter fully consolidated into group accounts.
Group revenue grew 3.6% on a comparable basis to €12.19 billion, Orange said in the statement.
Quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation after leases, a core profit measure widely used by telcos, rose 4.6% to €4.14 billion, beating a company-provided consensus of €4.10 billion. Operating cash flow increased by 8.8% over the first nine months of the year.
Orange Cyberdefense, the group's cybersecurity arm, booked €1 billion in nine-month revenue selling its threat-detection platform in nine European countries, up 12.2% from a year ago.
($1 = 0.8946 euros)
(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)