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Sprint Nextel
(NYSE: S)
USA
This telecom carrier's facelift has been dramatic. Sprint's sales soared 42%, to $39.3 billion in 2005, more than any other telecom services provider that year. How? Sprint decided in 2004 that continuing to chase growth as a long-distance carrier was a slow-go strategy. Instead, it bought wireless player Nextel and added more than $13 billion in revenues. And in May it spun off its local landline business into a separate company. That means Sprint is now completely focused on telecom's strongest cards: wireless and broadband. Moreover, Sprint is aligning itself with cable powers such as Comcast and Time Warner, who are seeking to offer their own brand of wireless service. It all seems to add up to a winning approach.
Company Info |
|
| 2005 Rank | Not Ranked |
| Sales* ($ Millions) | 39,292.0 |
| Sales Growth (over prev. year) |
42 % |
| Profits* ($ Millions) | 1,748.0 |
| Return on Equity | 3.3 % |
| Total Return on Sales (12-mo.) | -0.2 |
| Share Price As of 5/31/06 | 21.21 |
| CURRENT MARKET INFO | NYSE: S |
| No. of Employees | 60,000 |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| COMPANY WEB SITE > | |
*Trailing 12 months
Stock price data as of 5/31/06
DATA: Standard & Poor's Compustat
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Company Snapshot
Sprint Nextel offers various wireless and wireline communications products and services in the U.S.. The company's wireless segment offers wireless mobile-telephone and data transmission services. Data communications services comprise wireless imaging, Internet access, and messaging and e-mail services, wireless entertainment, and asset and fleet management, and dispatch services. This segment also offers walkie-talkie services, and sells carrying cases, hands-free devices, batteries, and battery chargers to consumers, agents, and third-party distributors. Sprint Nextel's long-distance segment provides wireline voice and data communications using various protocols. This segment also provides services to cable companies that resell its long-distance service and use its back-office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities. Its local segment provides local voice, long-distance, and data services, as well as wireless and video services. It also offers switched access services to long distance carriers, wireless carriers, and competitive local exchange carriers. Further, this segment sells service communications equipment for management of voice and data networks and applications, and procures, configures, and distributes equipment, materials, and supplies to various communication service providers. The company was founded in 1899 by Cleyson Brown and is headquartered in Reston, Va.
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