Partner Communications Company Ltd.
(Nasdaq:PTNR)(LSE:PCCD)(TASE:PTNR), a leading Israeli mobile
communications operator, announces that, pursuant to the dividend
policy adopted for 2007, its Board of Directors approved the
distribution of a cash dividend for Q4 2007 in the amount of NIS 2.02
(approximately US$ 0.53) per share, totaling approximately NIS 320
million (US$ 83 million) payable on March 6th, 2008 to shareholders
and ADS holders of record on February 20th, 2008. The total dividend
amount for 2007 will be approximately NIS 752 million (US$ 196
million), representing approximately 80% of the annual net income.
In respect of 2008, the Board reaffirmed the existing dividend
policy which provides for an 80% payout ratio of annual net income.
The Board has also approved a share buy-back plan throughout 2008, in
an amount of up to NIS 600 million
About Partner Communications
Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner") is a leading
Israeli mobile communications operator providing GSM / GPRS / UMTS /
HSDPA services and wire free applications under the orange(TM) brand.
The Company provides quality service and a range of features to 2.86
million subscribers in Israel (as of December 31st, 2007). Partner´s
ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market(TM) and the London
Stock Exchange. Its shares are also traded on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange (NASDAQ and TASE: PTNR; LSE: PCCD).
Partner is a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications
International Limited ("Hutchison Telecom"), a leading global provider
of telecommunications services. Hutchison Telecom currently offers
mobile and fixed line telecommunications services in Hong Kong, and
operates mobile telecommunications services in Israel, Macau,
Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia. It was the first
provider of 3G mobile services in Hong Kong and Israel and operates
brands including "Hutch", "3" and "orange". Hutchison Telecom, a
subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, is a listed company with
American Depositary Shares quoted on the New York Stock Exchange under
the ticker "HTX" and shares listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong
under the stock code "2332". For more information about Hutchison
Telecom, see www.htil.com.
For more information about Partner, see
http://www.orange.co.il/investor_site/
Note: This press release includes forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have based these forward-looking
statements on our current expectations and projections about future
events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks,
uncertainties and assumptions about Partner.
Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "seek,"
"will," "plan," "could," "may," "project," "goal," "target" and
similar expressions often identify forward-looking statements but are
not the only way we identify these statements. All statements other
than statements of historical fact included in this press release
regarding our future performance (including our outlook and guidance
for 2008), plans to increase revenues or margins or preserve or expand
market share in existing or new markets, reduce expenses and any
statements regarding other future events or our future prospects, are
forward-looking statements.
Because such statements involve risks and uncertainties, actual
results may differ materially from the results currently expected.
Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited
to:
-- the effects of the high degree of regulation in the
telecommunications market in which we operate;
-- regulatory developments related to the implementation of
number portability;
-- regulatory developments relating to tariffs, including
interconnect tariffs, roaming charges, and SMS tariffs;
-- the difficulties associated with obtaining all permits
required for building and operating of antenna sites;
-- the requirement to indemnify planning committees in respect of
claims made against them relating to the depreciation of
property values or to alleged health damage resulting from
antenna sites;
-- the effects of vigorous competition in the market in which we
operate and for more valuable customers, which may decrease
prices charged, increase churn and change our customer mix,
profitability and average revenue per user, and the response
of competitors to industry and regulatory developments;
-- regulatory developments which permit the Ministry of
Communications to require us to offer our network
infrastructure to other operators, which may lower the entry
barrier for new competitors;
-- uncertainties about the degree of growth in the number of
consumers in Israel using wireless personal communications
services and the growth in the Israeli population;
-- the risks associated with the implementation of a third
generation (3G) network and business strategy, including risks
relating to the operations of new systems and technologies,
potential unanticipated costs,
-- uncertainties regarding the adequacy of suppliers on whom we
must rely to provide both network and consumer equipment and
consumer acceptance of the products and services to be
offered, and the risk that the use of internet search engines
by our 3G customers will be restricted;
-- the results of litigation filed or that may be filed against
us;
-- the risk that, following a possible rearrangement of spectrum,
we may lose some of our frequencies or we may be allocated
spectrum of inferior quality;
-- the risks associated with technological requirements,
technology substitution and changes and other technological
developments;
-- alleged health risks related to antenna sites and use of
telecommunication devices;
-- the impact of existing and new competitors in the market in
which we compete, including competitors that may offer less
expensive products and services, desirable or innovative
products, technological substitutes, or have extensive
resources or better financing;
-- fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
-- the possibility of the market in which we compete being
impacted by changes in political, economic or other factors,
such as monetary policy, legal and regulatory changes or other
external factors over which we have no control; and
-- the availability and cost of capital and the consequences of
increased leverage.
as well as the risks discussed in Risk Factors, Information on the
Company and Operating and Financial Review and Prospects in form 20-F
filed with the SEC on June 12th, 2007. In light of these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in
this report might not occur.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
