Eircom has reported pre-tax profits of €112m for the year to the end of March, up from €88m a year earlier, helped by a €52m profit on the sale of property.
The company said talks with Australian group Babcock & Brown and the employee share ownership trust were continuing on their takeover bid for the company.
Today's results were brought forward by ten days amid speculation that a final agreement was close.
Eircom's revenue for the year was €1.7 billon, up 6% compared with a year earlier, but underlying earnings were down 1% to €601m.
Profits at the fixed line business fell 2% to €597m, while mobile group Meteor contributed a €4m profit for the four months since it was taken over by Eircom. Meteor now has 625,000 subscribers, and Eircom said the group had added 60,000 in the final three months of the financial year.
Chief executive Dr Phil Nolan said the mobile group had a 15% share of the market and was on target to meet its 20% target. He added that the company had spent €233m on investment in its network in the year.
The company said it now had 250,000 broadband customers.
The board has approved a second interim dividend of 5.2 cent for the year.
Eircom shares closed two cent higher at €2.15 in Dublin this evening.
