BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nortel Inversora S.A. ("Nortel") (NYSE: NTL) announces consolidated income of AR$ 1,959 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2017, of which AR$ 1,081 million correspond to Nortel as parent company of Telecom Argentina S.A. ("Telecom").

The sole material activity of Nortel is holding 54.74% of the capital stock of Telecom, representing a holding of 55.60% of the voting and economic rights of Telecom as a result of Telecom's holding of 15,221,373 shares of treasury stock. The holding of such shares of treasury stock has been extended for up to three additional years pursuant to the resolution of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Stockholders Meeting of Telecom held on April 29, 2016.

(Financial Tables below)



                                            First Quarter, Fiscal Year 2017
                                            -------------------------------

                                            (in millions of Argentine Pesos)


     Consolidated
     Income
     Statement                                   March 2017                       March 2016
     ------------                                ----------                       ----------


    Total
     sales
     and
     other
     income                                                                14,742                  12,474

    Operating
     costs                                                               (11,856)               (10,483)
                                                                          -------                 -------

    Operating
     income                                                                 2,886                   1,991

    Financial
     results,
     net                                                                      126                   (550)
                                                                              ---                    ----

    Net
     income
     before
     income
     tax
     expenses                                                               3,012                   1,441

    Income
     tax                                                                  (1,053)                  (507)
                                                                           ------                    ----

    Net
     income                                                                 1,959                     934
                                                                            -----                     ---

    Other
     comprehensive
     income,
     net of
     taxes                                                                   (21)                    189
                                                                              ---                     ---

    Total
     comprehensive
     income
     for the
     period                                                                 1,938                   1,123
                                                                            =====                   =====




     Consolidated
     Balance
     Sheet                                       March  2017                      December 2016
     ------------                                -----------                      -------------


    Current
     assets                                                                16,360                  15,620

    Non-
     current
     assets                                                                32,563                  32,354
                                                                           ------                  ------

    Total
     assets                                                                48,923                  47,974
                                                                           ======                  ======

    Current
     liabilities                                                           15,982                  16,524

    Non-
     current
     liabilities                                                           11,115                  11,527
                                                                           ------                  ------

    Total
     liabilities                                                           27,097                  28,051
                                                                           ======                  ======

    Equity
     attributable
     to
     Nortel                                                                11,868                  10,797

    Equity
     attributable
     to non-
     controlling
     shareholders                                                           9,958                   9,126
                                                                            -----                   -----

    Total
     equity                                                                21,826                  19,923
                                                                           ------                  ------

    Total
     liabilities
     and
     equity                                                                48,923                  47,974
                                                                           ======                  ======




    Ratios
    ------


    Liquidity
     (a)                                                                     1.02                    0.95

     Indebtedness
     (b)                                                                     1.24                    1.41


    (a) Current assets to current liabilities

    (b) Total liabilities to shareholders' equity

Relevant facts

Corporate Reorganization

On March 17, 2017, the Company received notice from its direct controlling shareholder Sofora Telecomunicaciones S.A. ("Sofora"), who informed that its shareholders had expressed their wish that the Board of Directors of Sofora as well as the ones of its subsidiaries Nortel Inversora S.A. ("Nortel"), Telecom Argentina S.A. ("Telecom Argentina") and Telecom Personal S.A. ("Telecom Personal") evaluate a corporate reorganization at the head of Telecom Argentina S.A. as the surviving company, aiming to conclude this reorganization during the current year. This project seeks to simplify the shareholding structure of Telecom Argentina in line with international standards and market practices.

In this context, it has been agreed that Sofora amortizes, in the terms of Article 223 of the General Corporate Law No. 19,550, the shares owned by W de Argentina Inversiones S.A. ("WAI") as follows: (i) 17% of the capital stock of Sofora in the first place and (ii) once the corresponding regulatory requirements have been met, the remaining 15% of WAI's stake in Sofora. Once both amortizations are realized, Fintech Telecom LLC will control 100% of the share capital of Sofora consolidating all the economic and corporate rights of the Company.

Resulting from the Reorganization and effective as of the Reorganization Effectiveness Date: (i) all the assets and liabilities of the Absorbed Companies shall be transferred to the Surviving Company at the values included in the respective Special-Purpose Unconsolidated Financial Statements, causing Telecom Argentina to acquire ownership of all rights and to assume all obligations and liabilities of any nature of Telecom Personal, Sofora and Nortel including (ii) Telecom Argentina shall be the successor of all activities of Telecom Personal, Sofora and Nortel.

Moreover, on March 31, 2017, the Board of Directors of Telecom Argentina S.A., Sofora Telecomunicaciones S.A., Nortel Inversora S.A. and Telecom Personal S.A. approved the Preliminary Merger Agreement by which they agree that Telecom Argentina will absorb by merger Nortel, Sofora and Telecom Personal, in accordance with the terms of Sections 82 and 83 of the General Corporate Law, and ad referendum of the corporate and regulatory approvals established in said Commitment.

Regarding the aforementioned corporate reorganization and in order to facilitate the merger process by concentrating the entire capital stock of the Absorbed Company (Telecom Personal) under the ownership of the Surviving Company (Telecom Argentina), The Board of Directors of Nortel and Telecom Argentina approved on March 31, 2017 the sale of 120,000 shares of Telecom Personal, held by Nortel, to Telecom Argentina, for the amount of P$ 4,000,000, -. As a consequence of this transaction, as of March 31, 2017, Telecom Argentina owns 100% of Telecom Personal.

Finally, The Board of Directors of the Company, resolved to summon a General Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of Nortel Inversora to be held on May 22, 2017 on the first call, in order to consider the corporate reorganization described herein and the documentation approved by the Board of Directors.

Other Relevant Matters

Summary of the Resolutions approved by the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Stockholders Meeting held on April 27, 2017

The Ordinary and Extraordinary General Stockholders Meeting held on April 27, 2017 resolved, among other issues:


    1. to approve the Annual Report and Financial Statements as of December 31,
       2016;
    2. to ratify the payment of a  provisional cash dividends of AR$ 540 million
       approved by the board of directors on October 24,2016
    3. to allocate the non-appropriated profit amount as of December 31, 2016,
       of AR$ 1,652 million to the already existing "Voluntary Reserve for the
       Future Distribution of Dividends";

María de los Angeles Blanco Salgado
Officer in Charge of Market Relations

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SOURCE Nortel Inversora S.A.