ATLANTA-BellSouth Corp. announced that 1997 showed an 8-percent increase in revenues, earnings growth of 12.3 percent and 15-percent growth in net income over 1996. It was the fifth consecutive year of improved operating results, BellSouth said.
BellSouth’s fiscal 1997 fourth quarter revenues of $5.6 billion is a 10.9-percent increase compared with fiscal 1996 fourth quarter. Annual revenues for 1997 amounted to $20.6 billion. Net income for the fourth quarter was $729 million, compared with $633 million during fiscal 1996 fourth quarter.
Fiscal 1997 fourth quarter earnings per share was a record 72 cents, compared with 64 cents in the corresponding quarter of 1996.
Duane Ackerman, BellSouth’s chairman and chief ex4ecutive officer, said, “Our earning momentum continues to be a direct result of executing our three strategies.
“By focusing on what our customers need, we’re driving record growth in our nine-state telecommunications region, growing our domestic wireless business profitably, and expanding our international businesses, primarily in Latin America.”
