Etisalat, the UAE’s biggest telecoms operator by market capitalisation, plans to buy back 7.5 billion dirhams worth of shares from the market. The company's share price climbed following the announcement on Tuesday.
The board of Emirates Telecommunications Group, or Etisalat, has given a nod to “circulation share buy-back programme,” through which it intends to purchase up to 5 per cent of the firm’s paid-up capital, or 434.8 million shares, the telecommunications company said in a regulatory filing to Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded. The decision to buy back stocks is subject to the approval of the UAE’s capital markets regulator, Securities and Commodities Authority, and the company's shareholders who are scheduled to meet on March 21, it said.
Etisalat may cancel or resell the bought back stocks, it said without giving further details on the term of the planned transaction. The company has a market capitalisation of 151bn, and based on Monday’s closing share price, the 5 per cent buyback will be valued at 7.5bn.
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"Buying back shares is a way of rewarding sharesholders by pushing the share prices up and that’s a positive," said Sanyalaksna Manibhandu, the head of research at FAB Securities. "They [Etisalat] have been hinting at it for some time and now it is concrete. They have put down maximum of 5 per cent [of buyback] but market will be eagerly waiting for the price range [for the planned deal]."
The company’s shares rose as much as 4.1 per cent, the most in more than a year. It was the top stock in terms of traded value, ending the day 2.6 per cent higher at Dh17.75 a share. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark index fell 1.9 per cent.
Etisalat competes with Dubai-based du in the domestic market and has lost some ground to the incumbent in the recent years. Last month, Abu Dhabi-headquartered Etisalat reported Dh8.4bn in full-year 2017 net profit attributable to shareholders, a 0.3 per cent increase on the previous year. Its fourth-quarter net income, however fell 12 per cent to Dh2bn, according to calculations made by Reuters, in the absence of a quarterly breakdown.
The company, which last year deployed pre-commercial 5G network in certain locations in UAE, also said its subscriber base in the domestic market grew to 12.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, a 3 per cent increase from the same period in 2016. The company operates in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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