Singapore Telecommunications reported an underlying net profit of S$831 million for the quarter ended June 30, exceeding the consensus estimate of S$746.1 million and the S$686 million recorded a year earlier. The result was supported by contributions from its Australian unit Optus, regional associates, and digital and data centre operations. Post-tax earnings from regional associates rose 16.1 percent to S$543 million, led by stronger results from Bharti Airtel in India and Advanced Info Service in Thailand. Optus posted operating earnings of A$152 million, a 14 percent increase from the prior year. NCS, the group’s digital services arm, saw operating earnings climb 29 percent to S$102 million, while Digital InfraCo reported a 10 percent rise. These gains helped offset a 3.1 percent drop in operating revenue from Singapore operations amid pricing pressure and lower mobile revenue per user. Singtel shares fell 0.7 percent at midday, compared with a 0.5 percent decline in the benchmark index. The performance underscores the increasing role of regional and digital businesses as the company faces competition in its home market.
