Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Daniel Djurberg: My question would be a little bit on the giving CapEx constraints. I obviously understand its tricky forecast CSPs around spending in 2024, but if we see an improvement or in the visibility, I should say, for example, mobile or congress or whatever, is it your ambition to return to guidance with regards to the ’24 adjusted EBITDA range? Or is it, should we forget about that also in a later stage?

Borje Ekholm: Daniel, I think it’s fair to say that let’s take that discussion when we see the change in market sentiment. Right now, I feel we need to be prudent and plan for the current conditions to prevail because then we take the right operating decisions, so when that change, let’s see where we are.

Daniel Djurberg: And I know you don’t want to speak on specific customers, but recently the Mobile World Congress Las Vegas that we heard from Verizon Executive Vice Presidents talking about that they have deployed 7,000 mobile sites with the vRAN mainly with Samsung in last five months, but that they have started to deploy Ericson year-end right now. My question is, have you seen this kind of changes that sounds that it project goes to someone else, and then it’s your turn back and forth and there should we expect to see an improvement coming from the U.S. given this statement from Verizon for example?

Borje Ekholm: We would never comment on specific customers, but our investments for example into Cloud RAN has continued and you’ll see us launch or signed MOUs here together with Telefonica for example to actually deploy Cloud RAN and Open RAN on an industrial scale. We believe networks in the future are going to be much more open and we’re always better off leading that. And that’s what we invest for. We see that to work with leading customers including the U.S. operators as well. I don’t want to go into specific customers because I think they ought to comment on that, themselves.

Daniel Djurberg: Yes, I understand. And just super quick to call, the extra 1 billion cost savings. Is that the cost for that included in the 6 billion, 7 billion that can charges or will it come in 2024?

Carl Mellander: It’s included. So we maintain the 7 billion restructuring charges as the full year number. So, we have done five so far, a bit more than coming in the fourth quarter. And with that, we will deliver the 12 billion run rate survey.

Peter Nyquist: I have the next question coming from Erik Lindholm-Röjestål from SEB.

Erik Lindholm-Röjestål: So parting on the guidance for networks seasonality here in Q4, you mentioned that you see India flat sequentially. But can you talk a bit what, this means for North America and what you assume there? And is there any other market sort of standing out into Q4? And I’ll follow up with another question. Thank you.

Carl Mellander: I would say, overall, we see that the average seasonality is representative on markets excluding India, where we have a flat development. And of course, given the size now, the magnitude of India, the proportion of India on total sales, it matters for the full seasonality calculation or development, you could say. So all other markets, I would say, no specific guidance other than normal India flat.

Erik Lindholm-Röjestål: And just to follow-up on that. I guess, key topic has been, the inventory levels in the U.S. market, I mean, what are you seeing now in terms of inventory levels at the top telcos in the U.S. market? And do you see that inventory adjustments being done now in Q4, is this still the case?

Carl Mellander: Yes. So, we saw continuation in the third quarter, but it is starting to flatten out and even more so in fourth. It is basically done. On the part of inventory that mattresses that has the larger value, we are really flattening out, Harry, in the fourth quarter. So that’s of course a helpful fact for us as well.

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