Accounting figures for joint stock companies in the information sector, 2004

Telecommunications make high operating profit margin within ICT-sector

In average operating profit margin in joint stock companies within the ICT sector and content sector were 8.1 and 6.3 per cent respectively in 2004. This represents an improvement of 2.3 and 0.5 points of per cent from the year before and 9.4 and 3.1 points of per cent from 2002. In comparison all non-financial joint stock companies except from oil and gas, had an average operating profit margin of 7.1 per cent in 2004. In the ICT sector, telecommunications had the highest operating profit margin of 14.5 per cent in 2004. Within content sector, the publishing industry had the highest operating profit margin of 9.3 per cent. In the period from 1998 to 2004 this industry have had 1-4 points of per cent better operating profit margin than the average for all non-financial joint stock companies.

Better return on equity in the ICT sector and the content sector

Return on equity within the ICT sector and the content sector was 13.4 and 12.7 per cent respectively in 2004. For the ICT sector this represents a growth of 4.3 points of per cent from the year before, while it is unchanged for the content sector. For all non-financial joint stock companies except from oil and gas, return on equity was 13.8 per cent in average in 2004. That is somewhat higher than the average within the ICT sector and content sector. Measured in return on equity telecommunications was the most profitable industry within the ICT sector with 16.1 per cent. In the content sector information services had the highest return on equity of 19.1 per cent.

Tables:

• Table 1 Number of joint-stock companies
• Table 2 Operating income in NOK million
• Table 3 Operating expenses in NOK million
• Table 4 Operating profit in NOK million
• Table 5 Operating profit margin in per cent
• Table 6 Operating margin in per cent
• Table 7 Return on total assets in per cent
• Table 8 Return on equity. Per cent
• Table 9 Circulation rate on total assets
• Table 10 Equity ratio in per cent
• Table 11 Current ratio