Connect with us

Technology

Cogeco Releases its Financial Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2024

Published

on

New operating model focused on customer experience and operational excellence to power future growth.Expanded our customer value proposition with Breezeline Mobile launched across most of Breezeline’s U.S. broadband footprint.Revenue increased by 1.3% compared to the same period last year to $777.2 million, reflecting revenue growth at Cogeco Connexion and stable revenue at Breezeline, in line with expectations.Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $369.8 million increased by 4.0% over last year.Profit for the period amounted to $75.3 million, an increase of $42.0 million, of which $19.0 million was attributable to owners of the Corporation.Earnings per share on a diluted basis rose to $1.97 from a loss of $2.22 in the third quarter of fiscal 2023, while adjusted diluted earnings per share(1)(3) rose by 24.3% to $3.02, which excludes the impact of last year’s pre-tax non-cash impairment charges, restructuring and certain other costs.Free cash flow(1) amounted to $89.3 million, a decrease of 16.9% compared to last year reflecting restructuring costs recognized during the quarter, while cash flow from operating activities increased by 18.3% to $335.1 million due to the timing of certain working capital items. Free cash flow, excluding network expansion projects(1) decreased by 18.3% to $113.7 million.Cogeco maintains its fiscal 2024 financial guidelines.A quarterly dividend of $0.854 per share was declared, representing a 16.8% increase over the prior year.

MONTRÉAL, July 11, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) (“Cogeco” or the “Corporation”) announced its financial results for the third quarter ended May 31, 2024.

“We demonstrated solid performance again in the third quarter of 2024, with revenue growth and healthy expansion of our adjusted EBITDA margin due to an improving product mix, combined with an acceleration of our efforts to drive operational efficiency,” said Frédéric Perron, President and CEO. “In the third quarter, we implemented the initial steps of a new operating model designed to deliver future growth and increase our focus on customer experience and operational excellence.

“Growth in our Canadian telecommunications business was driven by the ongoing expansion of our Internet subscriber base under our Cogeco Connexion and oxio brands. We continue to be impressed by oxio’s performance and its robust adoption by consumers and are cascading our learnings from this digital brand across our organization.

“In the U.S., we rolled out Breezeline Mobile across most of our footprint, which will provide an even stronger incentive for new and existing customers to bundle their digital services with us. In addition, our Internet-first strategy and persistent endeavors to drive operational efficiency helped deliver adjusted EBITDA growth over last year.

“At Cogeco Media, our innovative digital solutions and multi-platform digital content helped generate another quarter of audio sales growth. These gains were driven by strong listener engagement across many of our stations, including at 98.5 Montréal, which remained stalwart in the spring 2024 Numeris ratings as Canada’s most listened to radio station.

“Lastly, the new operating model and transformation we began during the quarter will allow us to sustain our growth, take our competitive agility to new heights, better serve our customers, and continue to build a strong culture where our colleagues thrive and succeed. We expect it to result in significant value creation for Cogeco over the coming years as the benefits of the transformation are realized.”

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

Change in

constant
currency

(1)

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except % and per share data) (unaudited)

$

$

%

%

Revenue

777,249

767,603

1.3

1.0

Adjusted EBITDA (1)

369,786

355,459

4.0

3.8

Profit for the period

75,285

33,314

—

Profit (loss) for the period attributable to owners of the Corporation

18,960

(34,473)

—

Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation (1)(3)

29,102

37,921

(23.3)

Cash flows from operating activities

335,126

283,180

18.3

Free cash flow (1)

89,276

107,379

(16.9)

(16.8)

Free cash flow, excluding network expansion projects (1)

113,709

139,210

(18.3)

(18.3)

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

172,404

190,121

(9.3)

Net capital expenditures (1)(2)

169,754

170,258

(0.3)

(0.7)

Net capital expenditures, excluding network expansion projects (1)

145,321

138,427

5.0

4.6

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

1.97

(2.22)

—

Adjusted diluted earnings per share (1)(3)

3.02

2.43

24.3

Operating results

For the third quarter of fiscal 2024 ended on May 31, 2024:

Revenue increased by 1.3% to $777.2 million. On a constant currency basis(1), revenue increased by 1.0% driven by revenue growth in the Canadian telecommunications segment, while revenue remained stable in the American telecommunications segment, as explained below.Canadian telecommunications’ revenue increased by 2.2%, mostly driven by the cumulative effect of high-speed Internet service additions over the past year as well as the Niagara Regional Broadband Network acquisition (“NRBN”) completed on February 5, 2024.American telecommunications’ revenue remained stable as reported and in constant currency, mainly resulting from a higher revenue per subscriber and a better product mix resulting from customers subscribing to increasingly fast Internet speeds, offset by lower video subscriptions and a lower Internet subscriber base over the past year, with an increasing proportion of customers only subscribing to Internet services.Revenue in the media activities increased by 3.3%.Adjusted EBITDA increased by 4.0% to $369.8 million. On a constant currency basis, adjusted EBITDA increased by 3.8%, mainly due to higher adjusted EBITDA in both the American and Canadian telecommunications segments, as explained below, and lower corporate costs primarily due to the timing of certain operating expenses.American telecommunications adjusted EBITDA increased by 4.5%, or 3.9% in constant currency, mostly due to lower operating expenses driven by cost reduction initiatives and operating efficiencies.Canadian telecommunications adjusted EBITDA increased by 2.9%, mainly due to revenue growth, partly offset by higher sales and other operating expenses to drive subscriber growth.Profit for the period amounted to $75.3 million, of which $19.0 million, or $1.97 per diluted share, was attributable to owners of the Corporation compared to a profit of $33.3 million, and a loss of $34.5 million, or $2.22 per diluted share, respectively, in the comparable period of fiscal 2023. The increases in profit for the period and profit attributable to owners of the Corporation resulted mainly from last year’s non-cash impairment charges of $88 million related to the radio operations and higher adjusted EBITDA, partly offset by higher restructuring costs, depreciation and amortization expense and income tax expense.Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation(3) was $29.1 million, or $3.02 per diluted share(3), compared to $37.9 million, or $2.43 per diluted share, last year. The increase of adjusted diluted earnings per share over last year reflects the benefit of the Corporation’s repurchase and cancellation of shares.Net capital expenditures were $169.8 million, a decrease of 0.3% compared to $170.3 million in the same period of the prior year. In constant currency, net capital expenditures(1) were $169.1 million, a decrease of 0.7% compared to last year, mainly due to lower spending in the American telecommunications segment as expected due to the timing of network expansion projects, partly offset by higher purchases of customer premise equipment and other capital spending related to fibre-to-the-home network expansions in the Canadian telecommunications segment.Excluding network expansion projects, net capital expenditures were $145.3 million, an increase of 5.0% compared to $138.4 million in the same period of the prior year. In constant currency, net capital expenditures, excluding network expansion projects(1) were $144.8 million, an increase of 4.6% compared to last year.Fibre-to-the-home network expansion projects continued in both Canada and the United States, with homes passed additions close to 44,000(4) during the first nine months of fiscal 2024.Acquisition of property, plant and equipment decreased by 9.3% to $172.4 million, mainly resulting from lower spending.Free cash flow decreased by 16.9%, or 16.8% in constant currency, and amounted to $89.3 million as reported and in constant currency, mainly due to higher restructuring costs. Free cash flow, excluding network expansion projects decreased by 18.3% as reported and in constant currency, and amounted to $113.7 million.Cash flows from operating activities increased by 18.3% to $335.1 million, mostly due to the timing of payments of trade and other payables and the collection of trade accounts receivable, lower income taxes paid and higher adjusted EBITDA.Cogeco maintains its fiscal 2024 financial guidelines as issued on November 1, 2023.At its July 11, 2024 meeting, the Board of Directors of Cogeco declared a quarterly eligible dividend of $0.854 per share, an increase of 16.8% compared to $0.731 per share in the comparable quarter of fiscal 2023.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(1)

Adjusted EBITDA and net capital expenditures are total of segments measures. Constant currency basis, adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation, net capital expenditures, excluding network expansion projects, free cash flow and free cash flow, excluding network expansion projects are non-IFRS financial measures. Change in constant currency and adjusted diluted earnings per share are non-IFRS ratios. These indicated terms do not have standardized definitions prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For more information on these financial measures, please consult the “Non-IFRS and other financial measures” section of this press release.

(2)

Net capital expenditures exclude non-cash acquisitions of right-of-use assets and the purchases, and related borrowing costs, of spectrum licences, and are presented net of government subsidies, including the utilization of those received in advance.

(3)

Excludes the impact of non-cash impairment charges and acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs, net of tax and non-controlling interest.

(4)

Organic growth calculated by excluding additions resulting from acquisitions.

Financial highlights

Three and nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

Change in

constant
currency

(1)

(2)

2024

2023

Change

Change in

constant
currency

(1)

(2)

(In thousands of Canadian dollars,
except % and per share data)

$

$

%

%

$

$

%

%

Operations

Revenue

777,249

767,603

1.3

1.0

2,305,329

2,314,484

(0.4)

(0.6)

Adjusted EBITDA (2)

369,786

355,459

4.0

3.8

1,083,601

1,081,004

0.2

—

Acquisition, integration, restructuring
  and other costs (3)

46,634

11,377

—

51,121

21,006

—

Impairment of goodwill and
  intangible assets

—

88,000

—

—

88,000

—

Profit for the period

75,285

33,314

—

267,944

259,714

3.2

Profit (loss) for the period
  attributable to owners of the
  Corporation

18,960

(34,473)

—

77,498

41,396

87.2

Adjusted profit attributable to
  owners of the Corporation (2)(4)

29,102

37,921

(23.3)

93,486

116,292

(19.6)

Cash flow

Cash flows from operating activities

335,126

283,180

18.3

858,427

683,844

25.5

Free cash flow (2)

89,276

107,379

(16.9)

(16.8)

329,923

335,193

(1.6)

(1.7)

Free cash flow, excluding network
  expansion projects (2)

113,709

139,210

(18.3)

(18.3)

410,406

475,100

(13.6)

(13.8)

Acquisition of property, plant and
  equipment

172,404

190,121

(9.3)

507,427

598,803

(15.3)

Net capital expenditures (2)(5)

169,754

170,258

(0.3)

(0.7)

488,177

524,432

(6.9)

(7.1)

Net capital expenditures, excluding
   network expansion projects (2)

145,321

138,427

5.0

4.6

407,694

384,525

6.0

5.8

Per share data (6)

Earnings (loss) per share

Basic

1.99

(2.22)

—

6.58

2.65

—

Diluted

1.97

(2.22)

—

6.52

2.64

—

Adjusted diluted (2)(4)

3.02

2.43

24.3

7.87

7.41

6.2

Dividends per share

0.854

0.731

16.8

2.562

2.193

16.8

(1)

Key performance indicators presented on a constant currency basis are obtained by translating financial results from the current period denominated in US dollars at the foreign exchange rate of the comparable period of the prior year. For the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2023, the average foreign exchange rates used for translation were 1.3562 USD/CDN and 1.3513 USD/CDN, respectively.

(2)

Adjusted EBITDA and net capital expenditures are total of segments measures. Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation, free cash flow, free cash flow, excluding network expansion projects and net capital expenditures, excluding network expansion projects are non-IFRS financial measures. Change in constant currency and adjusted diluted earnings per share are non-IFRS ratios. These indicated terms do not have standardized definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For more information on these financial measures, please consult the “Non-IFRS and other financial measures” section of this press release.

(3)

For the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2024, acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs were mostly related to restructuring costs recognized during the third quarter of fiscal 2024. For the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2023, acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs resulted mostly from costs related to the integration of past acquisitions and from a $3.3 million retroactive adjustment recognized during the third quarter, in addition to a $5.1 million adjustment recognized during the second quarter following the Copyright Board preliminary conclusions on the redetermination of the 2014-2018 royalty rates, of which $4.2 million was reversed during the second quarter of fiscal 2024 following the Copyright Board decision issued in January 2024.

(4)

Excludes the impact of non-cash impairment charges, acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs, and gains/losses on debt modification and/or extinguishment, net of tax and non-controlling interest.

(5)

Net capital expenditures exclude non-cash acquisitions of right-of-use assets and the purchases, and related borrowing costs, of spectrum licences, and are presented net of government subsidies, including the utilization of those received in advance.

(6)

Per multiple and subordinate voting share.

 

As at

May 31, 2024

August 31, 2023

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

$

$

Financial condition

Cash and cash equivalents

55,135

363,854

Total assets

9,878,343

9,869,778

Long-term debt

Current

79,403

43,325

Non-current

5,026,116

5,045,672

Net indebtedness (1)

5,127,971

4,817,113

Equity attributable to owners of the Corporation

811,526

925,863

(1)

Net indebtedness is a capital management measure. For more information on this financial measure, please consult the “Non-IFRS and other financial measures” section of the Corporation’s MD&A for the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2024, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to Cogeco Inc.’s (“Cogeco” or the “Corporation”) future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as “may”; “will”; “should”; “expect”; “plan”; “anticipate”; “believe”; “intend”; “estimate”; “predict”; “potential”; “continue”; “foresee”, “ensure” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Particularly, statements relating to the Corporation’s financial guidelines, future operating results and economic performance, objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including expected growth, results of operations, purchase price allocation, tax rates, weighted average cost of capital, performance and business prospects and opportunities, which Cogeco believes are reasonable as of the current date. Refer in particular to the “Corporate objectives and strategies” section of the Corporation’s 2023 annual MD&A and of the fiscal 2024 third-quarter MD&A, and the “Fiscal 2024 financial guidelines” section of the Corporation’s 2023 annual MD&A for a discussion of certain key economic, market and operational assumptions we have made in preparing forward-looking statements. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Corporation, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what Cogeco currently expects. These factors include risks such as general market conditions, competitive risks (including changing competitive ecosystems and disruptive competitive strategies adopted by our competitors), business risks, regulatory risks, technology risks (including cybersecurity), financial risks (including variations in currency and interest rates), economic conditions (including inflation pressuring revenue, reduced consumer spending and increasing costs), talent management risks (including highly competitive market for limited pool of digitally skilled employees), human-caused and natural threats to the Corporation’s network (including increased frequency of extreme weather events with the potential to disrupt operations), infrastructure and systems, community acceptance risks, ethical behavior risks, ownership risks, litigation risks and public health and safety, many of which are beyond the Corporation’s control. Moreover, the Corporation’s radio operations are significantly exposed to advertising budgets from the retail industry, which can fluctuate due to changing economic conditions. For more exhaustive information on these risks and uncertainties, the reader should refer to the “Uncertainties and main risk factors” section of the Corporation’s 2023 annual MD&A and of the fiscal 2024 third-quarter MD&A. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Cogeco and future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information contained in this press release and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Cogeco’s expectations as of the date of this press release (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made) and are subject to change after such date. While management may elect to do so, the Corporation is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) and does not undertake to update or alter this information at any particular time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 

All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Corporation’s MD&A for the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2024, the Corporation’s condensed interim consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the same periods prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and the Corporation’s 2023 Annual Report.

Non-IFRS and other financial measures

This press release includes references to non-IFRS and other financial measures used by Cogeco. These financial measures are reviewed in assessing the performance of Cogeco and used in the decision-making process with regard to its business units.

Reconciliations between non-IFRS and other financial measures to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measures are provided below. Certain additional disclosures for non-IFRS and other financial measures used in this press release have been incorporated by reference and can be found in the “Non-IFRS and other financial measures” section of the Corporation’s MD&A for the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2024, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The following non-IFRS financial measures are used as a component of Cogeco’s non-IFRS ratios.

Specified non-IFRS financial measures

Used in the component of the following non-IFRS ratios

Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the         Corporation

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

Constant currency basis

Change in constant currency

Financial measures presented on a constant currency basis for the three and nine-month periods ended May 31, 2024 are translated at the average foreign exchange rate of the comparable periods of the prior year, which were 1.3562 USD/CDN and 1.3513 USD/CDN, respectively.

Constant currency basis and foreign exchange impact reconciliation

Consolidated

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

777,249

(1,802)

775,447

767,603

1.3

1.0

Operating expenses

407,463

(934)

406,529

412,144

(1.1)

(1.4)

Adjusted EBITDA

369,786

(868)

368,918

355,459

4.0

3.8

Free cash flow

89,276

50

89,326

107,379

(16.9)

(16.8)

Net capital expenditures

169,754

(622)

169,132

170,258

(0.3)

(0.7)

 

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

2,305,329

(5,293)

2,300,036

2,314,484

(0.4)

(0.6)

Operating expenses

1,221,728

(2,887)

1,218,841

1,233,480

(1.0)

(1.2)

Adjusted EBITDA

1,083,601

(2,406)

1,081,195

1,081,004

0.2

—

Free cash flow

329,923

(470)

329,453

335,193

(1.6)

(1.7)

Net capital expenditures

488,177

(1,086)

487,091

524,432

(6.9)

(7.1)

Canadian telecommunications segment

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
   percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

381,877

—

381,877

373,743

2.2

2.2

Operating expenses

180,204

(31)

180,173

177,794

1.4

1.3

Adjusted EBITDA

201,673

31

201,704

195,949

2.9

2.9

Net capital expenditures

91,093

(258)

90,835

84,415

7.9

7.6

 

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

1,131,804

—

1,131,804

1,114,161

1.6

1.6

Operating expenses

535,018

(159)

534,859

521,534

2.6

2.6

Adjusted EBITDA

596,786

159

596,945

592,627

0.7

0.7

Net capital expenditures

285,274

(218)

285,056

281,036

1.5

1.4

American telecommunications segment

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

368,706

(1,802)

366,904

368,042

0.2

(0.3)

Operating expenses

190,327

(887)

189,440

197,273

(3.5)

(4.0)

Adjusted EBITDA

178,379

(915)

177,464

170,769

4.5

3.9

Net capital expenditures

72,782

(349)

72,433

82,923

(12.2)

(12.7)

 

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Revenue

1,096,969

(5,293)

1,091,676

1,126,570

(2.6)

(3.1)

Operating expenses

574,070

(2,716)

571,354

607,237

(5.5)

(5.9)

Adjusted EBITDA

522,899

(2,577)

520,322

519,333

0.7

0.2

Net capital expenditures

191,490

(854)

190,636

236,422

(19.0)

(19.4)

Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation

Three months ended May 31

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

2024

2023

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

$

$

$

$

Profit (loss) for the period attributable to owners of the Corporation

18,960

(34,473)

77,498

41,396

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets

—

88,000

—

88,000

Acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs

46,634

11,377

51,121

21,006

Loss on debt extinguishment (1)

—

—

16,880

—

Tax impact for the above items

(12,337)

(21,386)

(17,978)

(23,938)

Non-controlling interest impact for the above items

(24,155)

(5,597)

(34,035)

(10,172)

Adjusted profit attributable to owners of the Corporation

29,102

37,921

93,486

116,292

(1)       Included within financial expense.

Free cash flow reconciliation

Three months ended May 31

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

2024

2023

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

$

$

$

$

Cash flows from operating activities

335,126

283,180

858,427

683,844

Changes in other non-cash operating activities

(73,787)

(20,729)

(14,195)

115,392

Income taxes paid (received)

3,502

19,166

(1,234)

89,778

Current income taxes

(3,390)

(5,828)

(20,313)

(26,450)

Interest paid

65,253

64,507

201,133

176,777

Financial expense

(67,109)

(64,300)

(222,211)

(183,812)

Loss on debt extinguishment (1)

—

—

16,880

—

Amortization of deferred transaction costs and discounts on long-term debt (1)

2,329

3,353

7,079

9,460

Net capital expenditures (2)

(169,754)

(170,258)

(488,177)

(524,432)

Repayment of lease liabilities

(2,894)

(1,712)

(7,466)

(5,364)

Free cash flow

89,276

107,379

329,923

335,193

(1)

Included within financial expense.

(2)

Net capital expenditures exclude non-cash acquisitions of right-of-use assets and the purchases, and related borrowing costs, of spectrum licences, and are presented net of government subsidies, including the utilization of those received in advance.

Net capital expenditures reconciliation

Three months ended May 31

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

2024

2023

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

$

$

$

$

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

172,404

190,121

507,427

598,803

Subsidies received in advance recognized as a reduction of the cost of
   property, plant and equipment during the period

(2,650)

(19,863)

(19,250)

(74,371)

Net capital expenditures

169,754

170,258

488,177

524,432

Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation

Three months ended May 31

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

2024

2023

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

$

$

$

$

Profit for the period

75,285

33,314

267,944

259,714

Income taxes

11,172

2,271

47,546

60,552

Financial expense

67,109

64,300

222,211

183,812

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets

—

88,000

—

88,000

Depreciation and amortization

169,586

156,197

494,779

467,920

Acquisition, integration, restructuring and other costs

46,634

11,377

51,121

21,006

Adjusted EBITDA

369,786

355,459

1,083,601

1,081,004

Net capital expenditures and free cash flow excluding network expansion projects reconciliations

Net capital expenditures

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
   percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Net capital expenditures

169,754

(622)

169,132

170,258

(0.3)

(0.7)

Net capital expenditures in connection with
  network expansion projects

24,433

(53)

24,380

31,831

(23.2)

(23.4)

Net capital expenditures, excluding network
  expansion projects

145,321

(569)

144,752

138,427

5.0

4.6

 

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Net capital expenditures

488,177

(1,086)

487,091

524,432

(6.9)

(7.1)

Net capital expenditures in connection with
  network expansion projects

80,483

(204)

80,279

139,907

(42.5)

(42.6)

Net capital expenditures, excluding network
  expansion projects

407,694

(882)

406,812

384,525

6.0

5.8

Free cash flow

Three months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Free cash flow

89,276

50

89,326

107,379

(16.9)

(16.8)

Net capital expenditures in connection with
  network expansion projects

24,433

(53)

24,380

31,831

(23.2)

(23.4)

Free cash flow, excluding network expansion
  projects

113,709

(3)

113,706

139,210

(18.3)

(18.3)

 

Nine months ended May 31

2024

2023

Change

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except
  percentages)

Actual

Foreign
exchange
impact

In

constant
currency

Actual

Actual

In

constant
currency

$

$

$

$

%

%

Free cash flow

329,923

(470)

329,453

335,193

(1.6)

(1.7)

Net capital expenditures in connection with
  network expansion projects

80,483

(204)

80,279

139,907

(42.5)

(42.6)

Free cash flow, excluding network expansion
  projects

410,406

(674)

409,732

475,100

(13.6)

(13.8)

Additional information

Additional information relating to the Corporation is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Corporation’s website at corpo.cogeco.com.

About Cogeco Inc.

Rooted in the communities it serves, Cogeco Inc. is a growing competitive force in the North American telecommunications and media sectors, serving 1.6 million residential and business subscribers. Its Cogeco Communications Inc. subsidiary provides Internet, video and wireline phone services in Canada, and in thirteen states in the United States under the Cogeco Connexion, oxio and Breezeline brand names. Breezeline also offers wireless services in most of the U.S. states in which it operates. Through Cogeco Media, it owns and operates 21 radio stations primarily in the province of Québec as well as a news agency. Cogeco’s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

For information:
Investors 
Troy Crandall
Head, Investor Relations
Cogeco Inc.
Tel.: 514 764-4600
troy.crandall@cogeco.com

Media 
Youann Blouin
Director, Media Relations & Strategic Communications
Cogeco Inc.
Tel.: 514 297-2853
youann.blouin@cogeco.com                                                

Conference Call:     

Friday, July 12th, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)

A live audio of the analyst conference call will be available on both the Investor Relations and the Events and Presentations pages on Cogeco’s website. Financial analysts will be able to access the live conference call and ask questions. Media representatives may attend as listeners only. A recording of the conference call will be available on Cogeco’s website for a three-month period.

Please use the following dial-in number to access the conference call 10 minutes before the start of the conference:

Local – Toronto: 1 289 514-5100

Toll Free – North America: 1 800 717-1738

To join this conference call, participants are required to provide the operator with the name of the company hosting the call, that is, Cogeco Inc. or Cogeco Communications Inc.

SOURCE Cogeco Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Nordic brings edge AI to battery-powered Wi-Fi devices, achieving twenty times lower standby power with new nRF71 Series

Published

on

By

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Thread, and on-device AI on a single chip, with existing software and tools, built for billions of intelligent devices that run for years on a battery

OSLO, Norway, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in low-power wireless solutions, today announces the nRF71 Series of ultra-low-power Systems-On-Chip (SoCs), bringing together ultra-low-power Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE), Thread®, and edge AI onto a single chip.

Built on the ultra-low-power design, software, and tools that have made Nordic a trusted leader in Bluetooth LE, the nRF71 Series delivers up to 20 times lower standby power usage than current-generation nRF70 Series Wi-Fi products. 

This leap in energy efficiency is expected to unlock new possibilities for developers targeting battery-powered Wi-Fi devices in applications such as smart home, wearables, and industrial IoT.  

“Edge AI will be part of every connected device, but for those that run on a battery, Wi-Fi has demanded a power budget they could not afford,” said Kjetil Holstad, EVP Wi-Fi and Power Management, Nordic Semiconductor. “With the nRF71 Series, Nordic removes that barrier. We are bringing Wi-Fi and edge AI to the same ultra-low-power platform and tools developers already trust for Bluetooth LE, so the next generation of intelligent products can connect to any network, make decisions on the device, and still run for years on a battery.”

Edge AI and the entire application on one chip

AI inference at the edge can now run directly on a single chip, with no external AI processor, so devices respond faster, use less power, and need fewer components. Keyword spotting, anomaly detection, and image classification are practical on battery-powered devices using nRF71 Series, thanks to its integrated Axon Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which runs machine learning models 10x to 17x faster than the 256 MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 processor alone. The nRF71 Series can also run ultra-small AI models that developers build from their own data with Nordic’s Neuton software, which is ideal for running edge AI on the processor alone.

From its Axon NPU and Neuton software to over-the-air model updates with nRF Cloud, Nordic is bringing edge AI to battery-powered Wi-Fi devices, with the application, wireless connectivity, and AI all running on a single chip.

Battery-powered Wi-Fi for smart home, security, and industrial IoT 

With nRF71 Series, battery-powered smart home hub, Matter bridge, or Thread border router designs can now run Wi-Fi, Thread, and Bluetooth LE on a single chip, as can Matter-enabled smart locks, security panels, wearables, and industrial sensors. Two independent radios with separate RF and processing blocks make this possible: a Wi-Fi radio and Nordic’s 2.4 GHz multiprotocol radio from the latest generation nRF54 Series wireless SoCs. Both radios receive simultaneously, for devices to maintain their Wi-Fi connection to the cloud while listening for Bluetooth LE or Thread traffic, without either protocol waiting for the other.

The first nRF71 Series SoCs are the nRF7120 and the nRF7120E.  The nRF7120 offers dual-band Wi-Fi 6, while nRF7120E adds tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, and the Axon NPU for hardware-accelerated edge AI. Both parts come with 4 MB of on-chip non-volatile memory and 1 MB of user-accessible RAM. 

On show at Electronica

Nordic will showcase the nRF71 Series, including a Nordic-branded module, at this year’s Electronica, in Hall C6, booth 159.

Availability

The nRF71 Series is now sampling with selected customers.  
Developers can contact their local Nordic sales representative for availability. 

About Nordic Semiconductor

Nordic Semiconductor is a leading low-power wireless IoT company, providing the essential platform and wireless technologies that connect the world’s IoT devices for the consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets. By offering world-class hardware, embedded software, development tools, and cloud lifecycle services, the company simplifies the development and maintenance of secure, reliable, and scalable connected products. www.nordicsemi.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nordic-brings-edge-ai-to-battery-powered-wi-fi-devices-achieving-twenty-times-lower-standby-power-with-new-nrf71-series-302926830.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Tencent Cloud Selected for HKMA’s Agentic Finance Expert Group, Showcases WorkBuddy’s New Financial Capabilities at Hong Kong FinTech Week

Published

on

By

HONG KONG, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology leader Tencent, showcased a range of innovative solutions at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, including the international version of WorkBuddy, eKYC, Tencent Cloud Risk Control Solutions, Tencent Marketing Cloud, and its global AI infrastructure network. Among them, the newly launched investment research capabilities on WorkBuddy International Edition emerged as a key focus among financial industry professionals attending the event.

During Hong Kong FinTech Week, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the launch of Project SAGE (Securing Agentic Finance with Governance and Enablement) and established the Agentic Finance Expert Group. Tencent Cloud was selected as a member of the group, bringing its experience in deploying WorkBuddy across financial services to collaborate with the HKMA and industry stakeholders on standards and governance for Agentic Finance, supporting the responsible development and adoption of the technology in Hong Kong.

WorkBuddy International Edition Introduces New Financial Capabilities to Enhance Investment Research Efficiency

Tencent WorkBuddy is a full-scenario AI agent desktop workstation designed for modern workplace scenarios. Its International Edition was launched on May 28 this year. By simply entering a natural language prompt, users can instruct WorkBuddy to autonomously access information, break down tasks, utilize relevant tools, and execute complex workflows, generating ready-to-use deliverables across a wide range of work and learning scenarios.

Designed for financial researchers and consultants, financial content creators, and individual investors, WorkBuddy’s newly launched investment research capabilities help streamline a range of investment research tasks. It supports company research, portfolio assessments based on user-provided information, and stock screening based on specific criteria.

For example, when conducting company research, users can simply instruct WorkBuddy: “Compile data from Tencent Holdings Limited (00700.HK) across its latest 12 reported quarters, provide an in-depth analysis of its revenue, profit margins and growth drivers, and retain the original sources.” WorkBuddy can then help retrieve and consolidate financial reports across multiple quarters, analyze key business metrics, business composition and performance trends based on company disclosures, and generate a preliminary research report while preserving original source references. Users can further refine their analysis through follow-up questions on specific figures, calculation methodologies or the drivers behind business performance, significantly reducing the time spent on manual data collection and information consolidation.

According to the WorkBuddy spokesperson, WorkBuddy is built on human-in-the-loop collaboration. While AI assists with data gathering, data analysis and information synthesis, research judgment and investment decisions remain firmly in the hands of professionals. By streamlining repetitive, time-consuming and cross-platform workflows, WorkBuddy enables users to devote more time and effort to strategic analysis and in-depth research. Looking ahead, WorkBuddy will continue to expand its financial capabilities to improve productivity across a wider range of financial services scenarios.

Tencent Cloud Selected for the Agentic Finance Expert Group to Advance Interoperability Standards

During Hong Kong FinTech Week, the HKMA officially launched Project SAGE and established the Agentic Finance Expert Group. Tencent Cloud was selected to join the group and will focus on contributing to interoperability standards-related initiatives, drawing on WorkBuddy’s experience in financial services to support the responsible development and adoption of Agentic Finance in Hong Kong.

As AI Agent technologies continue to mature, the financial industry’s use of AI is evolving from improving internal operational efficiency to exploring how AI Agents can deliver more efficient and secure financial services. This emerging model, known as Agentic Finance, has the potential to reshape how customers access and use financial products and services. Meanwhile, the associated risks and challenges need to be properly addressed to support its responsible development and adoption, particularly in areas such as agent identity verification, accountability and system security.

According to the HKMA, Project SAGE aims to enable practical applications of Agentic Finance, while ensuring the governance framework is in place. This initiative focuses on four key areas: Market Development and Use Case Exploration, Agent Identity, Interoperability Standards, and Legal and Regulatory Frameworks. Through its participation in the interoperability standards initiatives, Tencent Cloud will support the exploration of how AI Agents across different institutions and platforms can securely identify one another, accurately communicate instructions, and safely exchange data, laying the foundation for the large-scale adoption of Agentic Finance.

Liming Hu, Vice President of Tencent Cloud, said: “Common standards and protocols can help reduce duplicate integration efforts and mitigate risks associated with interactions between systems, providing a critical foundation for the large-scale adoption of Agentic Finance. We look forward to bringing WorkBuddy’s practical experience in financial services into industry discussions and contributing to the development of Hong Kong’s Agentic Finance ecosystem and related standards.”

Tencent Cloud has extensive experience serving the financial industry, and supports more than 10,000 financial institution customers worldwide. Its AI Agent tool, WorkBuddy, is already widely used across banking, insurance, securities, and asset management scenarios, and has accumulated extensive practical experience in AI Agent collaboration and cross-platform interoperability.

About Tencent Cloud

Tencent Cloud, one of the world’s leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tencent-cloud-selected-for-hkmas-agentic-finance-expert-group-showcases-workbuddys-new-financial-capabilities-at-hong-kong-fintech-week-302927523.html

SOURCE Tencent Cloud

Continue Reading

Technology

Wincomm and Portwell to Showcase Next-Gen Medical AI Computing at MEDICA 2026

Published

on

By

A Broader Computing Portfolio from Mobile care, Medical AI and Operating Room

HSINCHU, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wincomm, a Portwell company, will join Portwell Taiwan and Portwell Europe at MEDICA 2026 to present a shared direction for medical AI computing. Taking place November 16–19 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the joint showcase at Hall 12, Stand C76 will connect embedded computing, medical All-in-One (AIO) PCs, and portable devices across a wider range of healthcare applications.

With participation from Portwell Taiwan and Portwell Europe, the showcase brings together product engineering expertise and regional support to help medical equipment manufacturers and system integrators explore suitable computing architectures for their applications.

The joint presentation reflects a broader development in healthcare technology: demand for more diverse computing platforms tailored to different workloads, power requirements, installation constraints, and system integration needs. By presenting their complementary portfolios together, Wincomm and Portwell offer visitors a more comprehensive view of the platforms available for developing connected medical equipment and deploying intelligence at the clinical edge.

A Shared Medical AI Direction: Application-Specific Platforms Across the Care Environment

Together, Wincomm and the Portwell group will present a medical AI development direction centered on application-specific computing: combining mobility, graphics acceleration, clinical integration, and serviceability according to the needs of each care setting.

The demonstration portfolio spans the following application areas:

Application area

Featured models

Development focus

Mobile medical
cart computing

WMP-22U/24U

Energy-efficient Intel® Core™ Ultra computing
and optional triple hot-swappable batteries for
continuous mobile workflows

GPU-accelerated
medical AI

WMP-22S/24S and
MEDS-P2210

Computing platforms for demanding medical
imaging and AI workloads, including AIO
configurations with discrete GPU options

Medical box
computing

MEDS-7081, 7082, 5210,
and DTEC-D012

Embedded computing options for medical
equipment integration and application-specific
deployment

Operating room
computing

WMP-22T/24T/27T-PIS

AIO platforms designed for operating room
integration and surgical information workflows

Point-of-care
computing

WMP-109, MEDS-
P1003, and WMP-
22P/24P-IP54

Clinical information access and interaction at the
point of care

Portable medical
computing

WMT-101

Handheld information access, barcode scanning,
and NFC-enabled data capture

Medical device manufacturers, system integrators, and healthcare technology partners are invited to explore the demonstration portfolio and discuss future medical AI development opportunities.

Exhibition: MEDICA 2026
Dates: November 16–19, 2026
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Wincomm Portwell Joint booth: Hall 12, Stand C76
TW Excellence booth: Hall 16, Stand B23

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wincomm-and-portwell-to-showcase-next-gen-medical-ai-computing-at-medica-2026-302927355.html

Continue Reading

Trending