Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s largest listed telecommunications operator, posted a net profit of Rs. 9.2 billion for the quarter ended 31 March 2026, a 122.3% increase from Rs. 4.1 billion in the same period of 2025, EconomyNext reported.
Group revenue rose 9.2% year-on-year to Rs. 47.3 billion, up from Rs. 43.3 billion in Q1 2025. Direct costs fell to Rs. 20.5 billion from Rs. 21.4 billion, lifting gross profit to Rs. 26.9 billion. Operating profit climbed to Rs. 12.9 billion from Rs. 8.2 billion, while net finance costs declined to Rs. 2 billion from Rs. 2.5 billion. A net foreign exchange loss of Rs. 11 million was reported, sharply lower than the Rs. 247.3 million loss in the prior-year quarter.
All three operating segments turned in profits. The mobile segment, the principal earnings driver, contributed Rs. 36.4 billion in external revenue and Rs. 10.1 billion in segment operating profit. Fixed telephony and broadband added Rs. 6.9 billion in revenue and Rs. 2.6 billion in operating profit, while the television unit recorded Rs. 4 billion in external revenue and a Rs. 103.7 million operating profit, reversing a prior-year loss.
Basic earnings per share doubled to Rs. 1.00 from Rs. 0.45. The Board of Directors has proposed an interim dividend of Rs. 0.70 per share for the financial year 2026.
Dialog shares closed 6.5% higher at Rs. 37.50 on Friday, with the counter among the strongest movers on a day the Colombo Stock Exchange’s All Share Price Index closed flat at 22,905. The Q1 result lands in a week of contrasting financial-sector signals, with the official CBSL dollar rate climbing to Rs. 331.15 and Bank of Ceylon reporting Rs. 18.8 billion in Q1 profit after tax.
Source: EconomyNext.
