Outlook & Financial strategy

Forecast: 

For 2025, we expect further growth:
- Our sales are expected to increase in 2025.
- Adjusted EBITDA (after leases) in 2025 is expected to be more than € 44.9 billion, compared with  € 43.0 billion on a pro forma basis in 2024.
- Free cash flow (after leases) is expected to be around € 19.9 billion in 2025 compared with € 19.2 billion on a pro forma basis in 2024.

To keep the expectations clear of the impact of currency fluctuations, all figures refer to constant exchange rates (average exchange rates of the previous year; € 1 = $ 1.08).

Shareholder remuneration
For the fiscal year 2024 a dividend of € 0.90 per share after € 0.77 in 2023 was paid. The payout ratio of the adjusted recurring earnings per share (1.83 € for FY24) will by 49%. As in previous years, the dividend distribution was paid out without withholding tax. Additionally DT executed a share buyback program of around 2 billion € in 2024.

In the years to come, we intend to pay out 40 to 60 percent of adjusted earnings per share, which should increase to around 2.0€ in 2025 and around 2.5€ in 202. For the coming years, we expect the dividends to continue to be distributed tax-free. A further share buyback of € 2bn is announced for FY 2025.

For further details on the dividend, such as the analyst consensus for earnings per share and future dividend payments, our dividend history and more, click  here.

Operations:

Germany: Telekom Deutschland will maintain its clear market leadership. We continue to roll-out our fiber networks at high speed with 2.5 million additional homes passed by FTTH. Our 5G coverage is already at 98 percent and we continue to invest in our mobile network. This will enable us to accelerate growth in the residential and business customer segments. By systematically exploiting the opportunities offered by digitization, AI and scale, we will reduce costs and improve our earnings and return on equity.

USA: T-Mobile US continues to grow its customer base in B2C and B2B thanks to the superior network quality. 

Europe: The positive trend of recent years in the traditional communications markets of our Europe operating segment will continue in the next years. Growth is being driven by a further increase in demand for mobile data and broadband and pay TV lines.

System Solutions: We want to be the preferred provider of IT services. As part of an extensive transformation program, we have driven forward the establishment and expansion of growth themes and improved the efficiency of our existing business.

Financial strategy
Deutsche Telekom’s corporate strategy is supported by a financial strategy, which focuses on three key aspects.

1. Attractive Payout-Policy for Shareholders
Our dividend policy is to pay out 40 to 60 percent of the adjusted sustainable net income per share (EPS). The dividend paid for 2024 was € 0.90 after € 0.77 in 2023 (+17%). We guarantee a minimum dividend of € 0.60 per share.

2. Security for providers of debt capital
Deutsche Telekom seeks to have undisputed access to the debt capital markets at any time. Solid balance sheet ratios are meant to guarantee this access. Therefore Deutsche Telekom sets itself the following comfort zone targets/ratios:

Rating: A-/BBB

Ratio net debt/adj. EBITDA: ≤2.75x

Equity ratio: 25-35%

Liquidity reserve covering maturities of coming 24 months

3. Increase of Return on Capital Employed
The Finance Strategy supports the group wide transformation project to become the Leading Digital Telco. We want to become quality leader in our domestic market both in terms of mobile communication and fixed networks. The financial strategy, which supports the sustainable increase in value has a focus on the following three aspects:

Return on Capital Employed: We aim to increase return on capital employed in the long-term. For the fiscal year 2024 we recorded a ROCE of 8.5 percent. Our ambition for 2024 is a return on capital employed of around 9 percent.

Portfolio Management: We continue to focus on our core business, but at the same time, retain a presence in growth areas with strong partners.