EARNINGS POLL-Orascom Telecom Q4 net seen at $102 mln

* Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA: Quote) Q4 earnings

* Monday, March 15

* Net profit seen at $102 mln

CAIRO, March 9 (Reuters) - Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA: Quote), the
Arab world's largest mobile operator by subscribers, is seen
posting steady revenue and EBITDA but a sharp dip in its bottom
line due to a $120 million bill on its Algerian unit.
A Reuters poll of seven analysts forecast fourth-quarter net
profit at an average of $102 million, down sharply from $181
million in the previous quarter but still higher than a year
ago.

The company, majority-owned by Weather Investments, runs
operations from North Africa to North Korea. It shares control
of Egypt's Mobinil (EMOB.CA: Quote) with France Telecom (FTE.PA: Quote) but
has controlling stakes in almost all its other ventures.

Its Algerian unit, Djezzy, was hit with a $597 million bill
for back taxes and penalties in November. The next month Orascom
said it would pay 20 percent, or roughly $120 million, of the
disputed amount to appeal the ruling.

Earlier this month it lost that appeal and said it would pay
an additional $110 million to appeal again.

Following is a summary of analyst expectations:

MEAN RANGE NUMBER
Net profit (mln USD): 102 54.6-149 7
Revenue (mln USD): 1,292 1,239-1,323 7
Net margin (pct): 7.9 4.4-11.5 7
EBITDA (mln USD): 566 489-615 6
EBITDA margin (pct): 43.9 39.2-47.2 6
Total subscribers (mln): 88.4 82.7-90.9 5

COMPARATIVE FIGURES Q4 08 Q3 09 FY 08
Net profit (mln USD): 85 181 431
Revenue (mln USD): 1,305 1,291 5,327
Net margin (pct): 6.4 14 8.1
EBITDA (mln USD): 612 578 2,384
EBITDA margin (pct): 46.9 44.7 44.8
Total subscribers (mln): 78 88.9 78

* Please note: Margin figures not provided by analysts were
calculated by Reuters.

Estimates provided by: Beltone Financial, CI Capital,
EFG-Hermes, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Naeem and Nomura.

(Compiled by Alastair Sharp; Editing by David Holmes)