Financial analysis considering distress prediction models of telecommunications companies listed in Athens Stock Exchange: Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Forthnet, Hellas Online

Abstract

Within over a decade of liberalisation of the Greek telecommunications market and given the current adverse conditions caused by the economic crisis, a limited number of companies managed to survive and relatively stabilise their market position. On one hand, this paper constitutes a comprehensive financial analysis of the Greek telecommunications companies that are currently listed in the Athens Stock Exchange. The respective companies are: Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), Forthnet, and Hellas Online (HOL). These companies’ financial data over the past five years, from 2008 to 2012, are analysed using universally accepted methods. On the other hand, this work presents a relatively original approach of analysing companies’ survivability, by combining the four widely accepted distress prediction models of Altman, Springate, Ohlson, and Zmijewski. In this manner, criticism on the credibility and applicability of this model on the specific field is also provided.