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Ericsson Regulatory Filings 2009

Jan 21, 2009

2911_ffr_2009-01-21_b7682c27-6682-48bf-9361-a1a5de4b27ee.zip

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6-K 1 d6k.htm FORM 6-K Form 6-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN ISSUER

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

January 21 , 2009

LM ERICSSON TELEPHONE COMPANY

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

Torshamnsgatan 23, Kista

SE-164 83, Stockholm, Sweden

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ¨ No x

Announcement of LM Ericsson Telephone Company, dated January 21, 2009 regarding “Ericsson reports strong fourth quarter.”

FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

Ericsson reports strong

fourth quarter

| | • Sales SEK 67.0 (54.5) b., up 23%, full year SEK 208.9 (187.8) b., up
11% |
| --- | --- |
| | • Operating income 1)
2) SEK 9.2 (7.6) b., full year SEK 23.9 (30.6) b. |
| | • Operating margin 1)
2) 13.7% (14.0%), full year 11.4% (16.3%) |
| | • Cash flow SEK 7.0 (12.0) b., full year SEK 24.0 (19.2) b. |
| | • Net income 2) 3) SEK 4.1 (5.8) b., full year SEK 11.7 (22.1) b. |
| | • Earnings per share 2) 3) 4) SEK 1.21 (1.77), full year SEK 3.52 (6.84) |
| | • Board of Directors proposes dividend of SEK 1,85 per share |
| | 1) Excluding restructuring charges of SEK 3.0 b. in the quarter and SEK 7.6 b. for the full year |
| | 2) Including capital gains of SEK 0.2 b. in first quarter and SEK 0.8 b. in fourth quarter
2008 |
| | 3) Attributable to stockholders of the Parent Company, excluding minority
interests |
| | 4) A reverse split 1:5 was made in June 2008, comparable figures restated
accordingly |
| | CEO COMMENTS |
| ● | “We have had a solid performance in 2008,” said Carl-Henric Svanberg,
President and CEO of Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC). “Sales grew by 11% with good demand for our entire portfolio and across the world. Changes in currency rates had very small effect on full year growth. Professional services have continued to show
strong growth. Operating margins, excluding Sony Ericsson, have steadily improved, and our financial position is strong with net cash of SEK 35 b. Sony Ericsson is affected by the economic downturn and the declining demand in the consumer market and
has taken necessary actions. |
| | During the year, we saw some 650 million new mobile subscriptions and the 4
billion milestone is now reached. 2008 was also a breakthrough year for mobile broadband. Communication is a basic human need. It plays a critical role in the development of a sustainable and prosperous society, and the positive long-term prospects
for the industry remain. |
| | The economic recession is spreading across the world. The effects on the global
mobile network market should not be that significant as most operators have healthy financial positions, there is a strong traffic growth and the networks are fairly loaded. It remains, however, difficult to more precisely predict to what extent
consumer telecom spending will be affected and how operators will act. To date, our infrastructure business is hardly impacted at all, but it would be unreasonable to think that this would be the case also throughout 2009. |
| | We have exceeded our cost reduction targets launched in 2008. In the present
environment, we will continue to reduce costs, across all parts of the company at the same pace as in 2008 with restructuring charges of SEK 6-7 b., targeting annual savings of SEK 10 b. from the second half of 2010. We are leveraging synergies
between our different technologies and taking advantage of opportunities in the transformation to all-IP networks. As the savings largely are the result of more efficient ways of working, our strategy will remain intact and our unique capabilities
should not be affected,” concluded Carl-Henric Svanberg. |

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Income statement and cash flow

SEK b. Fourth quarter — 2008 1) 5) 2007 Change Third quarter — 2008 1) Change Full year — 2008 1) 5) 2007 Change
Net sales 67.0 54.5 23 % 49.2 36 % 208.9 187.8 11 %
Gross margin 35.2 % 36.1 % — 37.0 % — 36.8 % 39.3 % —
EBITDA margin 16.8 % 18.4 % — 15.3 % — 15.6 % 20.8 % —
Operating income 9.2 7.6 21 % 5.7 62 % 23.9 30.6 -22 %
Operating margin 13.7 % 14.0 % — 11.5 % — 11.4 % 16.3 % —
Operating margin excl Sony Ericsson 14.6 % 9.8 % — 11.5 % — 11.3 % 12.5 % —
Income after financial items 9.5 7.6 25 % 6.2 54 % 24.8 30.7 -19 %
Net income 2) 3) 3.9 5.6 -31 % 2.8 37 % 11.3 21.8 -48 %
EPS diluted, SEK 2) 3) 4) 1.21 1.77 -32 % 0.89 36 % 3.52 6.84 -49 %
Cash flow from operating activities 7.0 12.0 — 3.8 — 24.0 19.2 —
Cash flow excl. Sony Ericsson 7.0 12.0 — 2.4 — 20.4 15.3 —

1) Excluding restructuring charges of SEK 3.0 b.in the fourth quarter 2008, SEK 2.0 b.in the third quarter 2008, SEK 1.8 b. in the second quarter and SEK 0.8 b. in the first quarter

2) Including restructuring charges in 2008

3) Attributable to stockholders of the Parent Company, excluding minority interests

4) A reverse split 1:5 was made in June 2008. Comparable figures are restated accordingly

5) Fourth quarter 2008 includes a capital gain of SEK 0.8 b. from divestment of shares in Symbian

| Sales in the quarter increased by 23% year-over-year and by 11% for the full year. Currency exchange rates have had limited effects on full year sales. The currency exchange rate swings,
especially towards the end of the year, have positively impacted sales growth in the fourth quarter significantly. Excluding currency exchange rate effects, the fourth quarter still showed the strongest growth in the year. |
| --- |
| In the quarter, gross margin was 35.2% (36.1%), excluding restructuring charges. Full year gross margin amounted to 36.8% (39.3%). The sequential decline was mainly due to a high proportion of
network rollout services. The network rollout sales increased sequentially by 61%. |
| Operating expenses amounted to SEK 15.3 (15.2) b. in the quarter, excluding restructuring charges. Expense run-rate is decreasing as a result of cost savings activities but this was partly
offset by currency exchange rate effects. Operating expenses as a percentage of sales decreased from 28% to 27% for the full year. |
| In the quarter, Sony Ericsson contributed a result of EUR -67 (251) million, excluding restructuring charges of EUR 65 million. For the full year, Sony Ericsson showed a break-even result,
excluding restructuring charges. |
| Operating income before restructuring charges amounted to SEK 9.2 (7.6) b. in the quarter and SEK 23.9 (30.6) b. for the full year. The operating income for the quarter includes a capital gain
of SEK 0.8 b. from the divestment of shares in Symbian and a loss of SEK 0.7 b. from Sony Ericsson. |
| In the quarter, weaker SEK exchange rates affected income positively, but to a much lesser extent than sales. The currency translation effects during the quarter were offset by the negative
effects of transaction hedges. |

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

| Restructuring charges in Ericsson amounted to SEK 2.3 (-) b. in the quarter and to SEK 6.7 (-) b. for the full year. Ericsson’s share of the restructuring charges in Sony Ericsson amounted
to SEK 0.7 (-) b. for the quarter and SEK 0.9 (-) b. for the full year. |
| --- |
| Financial net was SEK 0.3 (0.0) b. in the quarter and SEK 1.0 (0.1) b. for the full year. Positive effects from improved interest rates were to some extent offset by negative effects from
changing currency exchange rates. |
| Net income amounted to SEK 4.1 (5.8) b. in the quarter and SEK 11.7 (22.1) b. for the full year, impacted by restructuring charges and a dramatic drop in the contribution from Sony Ericsson. |
| Cash flow from operating activities reached SEK 7.0 (12.0) b. in the quarter and SEK 24.0 (19.2) b. for the full year. Changes in net operating assets were negative at SEK 2.3 b. in the quarter.
Despite good collections, trade receivables increased due to high year-end sales. This was partly offset by reduced inventories and increased current liabilities. Cash conversion for the full year increased to 92% (66%). |
| For the year, the tax rate has increased to 32.3% (28.0%) due to changed mix of high and low tax countries. The deferred tax assets have also been revalued due to change in the statutory tax
rate in Sweden from 2009 that has increased the tax cost for 2008. |

Balance sheet and other performance indicators

SEK b. Full year 2008 Nine months 2008 Six months 2008 Three months 2008 Full year 2007
Net cash 34.7 30.2 27.9 28.3 24.3
Interest-bearing provisions and post-employment benefits 40.4 35.4 29.2 32.0 33.4
Trade receivables 75.9 62.6 56.7 56.4 60.5
Days sales outstanding 106 115 107 110 102
Inventory 27.8 29.7 26.6 24.5 22.5
Of which work in progress 16.5 18.4 16.3 13.8 12.5
Inventory turnover 5.3 1) 4.5 1) 4.7 1) 4.6 1) 5.2
Payable days 55 57 56 57 57
Customer financing, net 2.8 2.2 2.4 2.7 3.4
Return on capital employed 16 % 1) 13 % 1) 12 % 1) 12 % 1) 21 %
Equity ratio 50 % 52 % 55 % 56 % 55 %

1) Excluding effects from restructuring

| The net cash position increased sequentially to SEK 34.7 (30.2) b. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments amounted to SEK 75.0 (57.7) b. Of a total debt position of SEK 30.5 b., SEK
5.5 b. matures in the next twelve months. |
| --- |
| Customer financing remain at a low level and amounted to SEK 2.8 (2.2) b. |
| During the quarter, approximately SEK 2.3 b. of provisions related to warranty and project commitments and other items were utilized, of which SEK 1.0 b. were related to restructuring. Additions
of SEK 3.8 b. were made, of which SEK 1.2 b. related to restructuring. Reversals of SEK 0.8 b. were made. The net impact on operating income, excluding restructuring charges, was negative by SEK 1.8 b. |

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

Days sales outstanding decreased in the quarter to 106 days but are up year-over-year from 102. Currency exchange rates have had a negative effect.
Cost reductions
In February 2008, a cost reduction plan of SEK 4 b. in annual savings was announced, including estimated charges of the same size. All activities with related charges were launched by the third
quarter, and it was announced that further charges would be made in the fourth quarter.
Charges in the fourth quarter amount to SEK 2.3 b. and for the full year 2008 to SEK 6.7 b. In total, this has resulted in annual savings of approximately SEK 6.5 b. from
year-end.
Cost savings will continue also in 2009. Restructuring charges are estimated to SEK 6-7 b. and annual savings of SEK 10 b. are expected by the second half of 2010, with an equal split between
cost of sales and operating expenses.
We are leveraging synergies between our different technologies, in-house and acquired, and taking advantage of opportunities in the transformation to all-IP. We will reduce the number of
software platforms and increase the re-use of hardware. We will also move certain activities to low-cost countries.
Cost reductions will be achieved through reduction of the number of consultants and other temporary staff, consolidation of R&D sites and layoffs. These activities will result in a reduction
of the number of employees by some 5,000, of which about 1,000 in Sweden, primarily in Stockholm.
Restructuring charges — Isolated quarters, SEK b. Accumulated 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Cost of sales -2.5 -1.1 -0.6 -0.6 -0.2
Research and development expenses -2.7 -0.7 -0.3 -1.1 -0.6
Selling and administrative expenses -1.5 -0.5 -0.9 -0.1 -0.0
Share in Sony Ericsson charges -0.9 -0.7 -0.2 — —
Total -7.6 -3.0 -2.0 -1.8 -0.8

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

SEGMENT RESULTS

SEK b. Fourth quarter — 2008 1) 2007 Change Third quarter — 2008 1) Change Full year — 2008 1) 2) 2007 Change
Networks sales 45.8 37.5 22 % 33.0 39 % 142.0 129.0 10 %
Of which network rollout 7.6 6.4 17 % 4.7 61 % 21.5 18.5 16 %
Operating margin 14 % 10 % — 11 % — 11 % 13 % —
EBITDA margin 17 % 15 % — 15 % — 16 % 19 % —
Professional Services sales 16.2 12.1 34 % 11.8 38 % 49.0 42.9 14 %
Of which managed services 4.3 3.3 29 % 3.5 23 % 14.3 12.2 17 %
Operating margin 18 % 15 % — 16 % — 16 % 15 % —
EBITDA margin 19 % 16 % — 19 % — 17 % 16 % —
Multimedia sales 5.0 4.9 4 % 4.4 14 % 17.9 15.9 13 %
Operating margin 12 % 4 ) -9 % — 3 % — 1 % 4) -1 % —
EBITDA margin 21 % 4) -3 % — 12 % — 11 % 3)4) 4 % —
Total sales 67.0 54.5 23 % 49.2 36 % 208.9 187.8 11 %

1) Excluding restructuring costs in 2008

2) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia

3) Affected by SEK 0.2 b. due to changed allocation of capitalized development expenses during second quarter 2008

4) Fourth quarter 2008 includes a capital gain of SEK 0.8 b. from divestment of shares in Symbian

Networks
Sales in Networks increased by 22% in the quarter, year-over-year, positively
impacted by a weaker SEK. For the full year sales grew by 10%. 2008 was another record year for rollout of GSM. In addition, major 3G rollouts are ongoing in many markets while key markets, such as China and India, will soon start their 3G
buildouts.
Mobile broadband is now firmly established and networks with speeds of 21
Mbps have been launched in several countries. LTE is established as a true global world standard for mobile broadband. In January, 2009, Ericsson announced its first contract for a commercial LTE network.
The transition from traditional circuit switching to softswitching has come
far and Ericsson has established a clear leadership position. Sales of Redback’s SmartEdge products noted very strong growth for the second consecutive quarter.
Sales of network rollout services increased 61% sequentially, reflecting a
high proportion of completions of large new network buildouts.
Professional Services
Sales of Professional Services increased by 34% in the quarter,
year-over-year, and by 14% for the full year. Growth in constant currencies amounted to 26% and 13% respectively. Managed services continued to grow substantially, and consulting and systems integration showed strong growth due to a high amount of
customer projects finalized during the quarter. Operating margins in the quarter reached18% (15%) due to favorable mix, continued efficiency gains and high volumes.

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

| During the quarter, 11 new managed services contracts were signed. The total number of subscribers in managed operations now amounts to 250 million, of which 60% are in high-growth markets. The
growth in managed services is fueled by operators’ desire to reduce operating expenses and improve efficiency in network operation and maintenance. |
| --- |
| Multimedia |
| Sales in Multimedia increased by 4% in the quarter, year-over-year, and by 13% for the full year. For comparable units, i.e. excluding divestment of the enterprise PBX operations and adjusted
for the transfer of the IPX operations, sales grew by 21% in the quarter, year-over-year and by 16% for the full year. Tandberg Television and revenue management continued to show good growth while the mobile platform business is starting to
experience effects of the weakening handset market. Operating income in the quarter, excluding effects from the divestment of shares in Symbian, was SEK -0.2 (-0.4) b. |
| Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications |
| For information on transactions with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, please see Financial statements and Additional information. |

EUR m. Fourth quarter — 2008 2007 Change Third quarter — 2008 Change Full year — 2008 2007 Change
Number of units shipped (m.) 24.2 30.8 -21 % 25.7 -6 % 96.6 103.4 -7 %
Average selling price (EUR) 121 123 -2 % 109 11 % 116 125 -7 %
Net sales 2,914 3,771 -23 % 2,808 4 % 11,244 12,916 -13 %
Gross margin 15 % 32 % — 22 % — 22 % 31 % —
Operating margin -9 % 13 % — -1 % — -1 % 12 % —
Income before taxes -263 501 — -23 — -83 1,574 —
Income before taxes, excl restructuring charges -133 501 — 12 — 92 1,574 —
Net income -187 373 — -25 — -73 1,114 —

| Units shipped in the quarter were 24.2 million, a sequential decrease of 6% and a year-on-year decrease of 21%. Sales in the quarter were EUR 2,914 million, an increase of 4% sequentially but a
decrease of 23% compared to fourth quarter 2007. The global economic slowdown is resulting in a contracting consumer demand. |
| --- |
| Income before taxes for the quarter was EUR -133 million, excluding restructuring charges of EUR 129 million, compared to the profit of EUR 501 million in fourth quarter 2007.
Despite a negative result in the quarter, Sony Ericsson maintained a healthy balance sheet with a strong net cash position of EUR 1,072 million. |
| Ericsson’s share in Sony Ericsson’s income before tax was SEK -1.3 (2.3) b. in the quarter and SEK -0.5 (7.1) b. for the full year. |
| The EUR 300 million operating expenses savings measures earlier announced have been increased to EUR 480 million, with the full effect expected at the end of 2009. The cost for the
total program will be covered by the previously announced EUR 300 million in restructuring charges. |

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Sales, SEK b. Fourth quarter — 2008 2007 Change Third quarter — 2008 Change Full year — 2008 2007 Change
Western Europe 16.1 15.4 5 % 11.6 39 % 51.6 52.7 -2 %
Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa 17.6 14.3 24 % 13.1 35 % 53.1 48.7 9 %
Asia Pacific 20.5 13.7 49 % 14.1 45 % 63.3 54.6 16 %
Latin America 7.9 6.8 16 % 6.1 29 % 23.0 18.4 25 %
North America 4.9 4.3 13 % 4.3 14 % 17.9 13.4 34 %

| ● |
| --- |
| In Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, sales increased by
24% in the quarter, year-over-year, and by 9% for the full year. A strong year-over-year quarterly performance in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and South Africa is driven by continued 2G buildout, while a strong growth in Russia is driven by ongoing 3G
rollouts. |
| Asia Pacific sales increased by 49% in the quarter, year-over-year, and by
16% for the full year. The Chinese market rebounded after the Olympic Games. 3G licenses were awarded in the beginning of January 2009 and rollouts will start soon. India, with large network rollouts, remains Ericsson’s largest and fastest
growing market. Japan and Indonesia showed strong development in the quarter and are now Ericsson’s fifth and sixth largest markets. The market in Pakistan is still weak due to political uncertainties. |
| Latin American sales increased by 16% in the quarter, year-over-year, and by
25% for the full year. The year has been impacted by a combination of 2G enhancements and 3G buildouts, and 3G is now an established technology across the region. Mexico and Brazil showed strong development, both in the quarter and for the full
year, and show no signs of slow-down despite the economic downturn. |
| North American sales increased by 13% in the quarter, year-over-year, and
full year sales increased by 34%. The recorded slower growth in the fourth quarter is mainly an effect of a tough year-over-year comparison despite positive effects of the increasing USD in the fourth quarter. For the full year, the effects from
changes in currency exchange rates were limited. Mobile broadband is now well established with good consumer take-up, which is driving continued rollouts as well as capacity enhancements. |

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January 21, 2009

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Growth rates are based on Ericsson and market estimates.

We believe that the fundamentals for longer-term positive development for our industry are solid. The need for telecommunication continues to grow and plays a vital role for the development of a sustainable and prosperous society. Ericsson is well positioned to lead this development.

The world is being affected by an economic recession. It is however difficult to predict to what extent consumer telecom spending will be affected and how operators will act. Operators are generally financially strong, the networks are fairly loaded and traffic continues to increase. However, large currency movements and uncertainties in the credit markets could affect operators’ investment capacity.

Mobile subscriptions grew by some 176 million in the quarter to a total of 3.98 billion. The number of WCDMA subscriptions grew by 24 million to a total of 290 million. In the twelve-month period ending September 30, 2008, fixed broadband connections grew by 20% year-over-year to more than 385 million.

The continued subscription growth creates need for new and expanded mobile networks and corresponding professional services. Although GSM continues to represent the majority of the mobile systems market, its growth is slowing as 3G/WCDMA is accelerating. The strong development in emerging markets continues, and although they represent less than one third of global GDP they represent significantly more of the market for mobile network equipment.

Broadband Internet revenues for fixed operators are expected to grow from 20% to more than 30% of total revenues in the next five years. Mobile operators’ data revenues, currently at some 20% of total revenues, are expected to grow even faster.

Currently, 20 million households are served by IPTV. This is expected to grow to approximately 100 million households within the same timeframe.

All this is driving an increased focus on smarter networks and bundled service offerings. Operators have accelerated the conversion to all-IP broadband networks with increased deployments of broadband access, routing and transmission along with next-generation service delivery and revenue management systems.

PARENT COMPANY INFORMATION

Net sales for the year amounted to SEK 5.1 (3.2) b. and income after financial items was SEK 19.4 (14.7) b. During the fourth quarter, shares in Symbian Ltd has been sold by the Parent Company.

Major changes in the Parent Company’s financial position for the year include; decreased investments in subsidiaries of SEK 6.8 b., mostly attributable to write-down of investments caused by payments of dividends of approximately the same amount; decreased current and non-current receivables from subsidiaries of SEK 6.4 b; increased other current receivables of SEK 4.8 b.; increased cash and bank and short-term investments of SEK 13.6 b.; decreased current and non-current liabilities to subsidiaries by SEK 9.2 b. and increased other current liabilities by SEK 5.6 b.

As per December 31, 2008, cash, bank and short-term investments amounted to SEK 59.2 (45.6) b.

Major transactions with related parties include the following transactions and balances with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications: revenues of SEK 2.0 (3.0) b.; receivables of SEK 0.6 (0.9) b.; dividend of SEK 3.6 (3.9) b.

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

In accordance with the conditions of the Stock Purchase Plans and Option Plans for Ericsson employees, 1,171,119 shares from treasury stock were sold or distributed to employees during the fourth quarter and 5,232,211 shares during the year. In the third quarter 19,900,000 treasury shares were repurchased. The holding of treasury stock at December 31, 2008 was 61,066,097 Class B shares.

DIVIDEND PROPOSAL

The Board of Directors will propose to the Annual General Meeting a dividend of SEK 1.85 (2.50) per share, representing some SEK 6.0 (8.0) b., and April 27, 2009, as record day for payment of dividend.

ANNUAL REPORT

The annual report will be made available to shareholders on our website www.ericsson.com and at the Ericsson headquarters, Torshamnsgatan 23, Stockholm, in the week of March 9-13, 2009.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

The Annual General Meeting of shareholders will be held on Wednesday April 22, 2009, 15.00 (CET) in the Stockholm Globe Arena.

OTHER INFORMATION

Joint venture between Ericsson Mobile Platforms and ST-NXP Wireless

The joint venture between Ericsson Mobile Platforms and ST-NXP Wireless has received all necessary regulatory approvals and closing will take place during the first quarter 2009.

Assessment of risk environment

Ericsson’s operational and financial risk factors and exposures are described under “Risk factors” in our Annual Report 2007.

Risk factors and exposures in focus for the Parent Company and the Ericsson Group for the forthcoming six-month period include:

• potential negative effects due to the present serious turmoil in the financial markets and the beginning economic slow-down on operators’ willingness to invest in network development as well as the financial liabilities of sub suppliers, for example due to lack of borrowing facilities or reduced consumer telecom spending, or increased pressure on us to provide financing;

• unfavorable product mix in the Networks segment, with reduced sales of software, upgrades and extensions and an increased proportion of new network build-outs and break-in contracts, which may result in lower gross margins and/or working capital build-up, which in turn puts pressure on our cash conversion rate;

• a volatile sales pattern in the Multimedia segment or variability in our overall sales seasonality could make it more difficult to forecast future sales;

• effects of the ongoing industry consolidation among the company’s customers as well as between our largest competitors, e.g. intensified price competition;

• changes in foreign exchange rates, in particular USD and EUR;

• continued political unrest or instability in certain markets.

Ericsson conducts business in certain countries which are subject to trade restrictions or which are focused on by certain investors. We stringently follow all relevant regulations and trade embargos applicable to us in our dealings with customers operating in such countries. Moreover, Ericsson operates globally in accordance with Group level policies and directives for business ethics and conduct. In no way should our business activities in these countries be construed as supporting a particular political agenda or regime. We have activities in such countries mainly due to that certain customers with multi-country operations put demands on us to support them in all of their markets.

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

Please refer further to Ericsson’s Annual Report 2007, where we describe our risks and uncertainties along with our strategies and tactics to mitigate the risk exposures or limit unfavorable outcomes.

Stockholm, January 21, 2009

Carl-Henric Svanberg

President and CEO

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

Date for next report: April 30, 2009

AUDITORS’ REVIEW REPORT

We have reviewed this report for the period January 1 to December 31, 2008, for Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ). The board of directors and the CEO are responsible for the preparation and presentation of this financial information in accordance with IAS 34 and the Annual Accounts Act. Our responsibility is to express a conclusion on this financial information based on our review.

We conducted our review in accordance with the Standard on Review Engagements SÖG 2410, Review of Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity, issued by FAR SRS. A review consists of making inquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing in Sweden, RS, and other generally accepted auditing practices. The procedures performed in a review do not enable us to obtain a level of assurance that would make us aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Therefore, the conclusion expressed based on a review does not give the same level of assurance as a conclusion expressed based on an audit.

Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the accompanying financial information is not, in all material respects, in accordance with IAS 34 and the Annual Accounts Act.

Stockholm, January 21, 2009

PricewaterhouseCoopers AB

Bo Hjalmarsson Peter Clemedtson
Authorized Public Accountant Authorized Public Accountant
Lead partner

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

EDITOR’S NOTE

To read the complete report with tables, please go to: www.ericsson.com/investors/financial_reports/2008/12month08-en.pdf

Ericsson invites media, investors and analysts to a press conference at the Ericsson headquarters, Torshamnsgatan 23, Stockholm, at 09.00 (CET), January 21.

An analysts, investors and media conference call will begin at 14.00 (CET).

Live webcasts of the press conference and conference call as well as supporting slides will be available at www.ericsson.com/press and www.ericsson.com/investors.

Video material will be made available during the day on www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Henry Sténson, Senior Vice President, Communications

Phone: +46 10 719 4044

E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Investors Media
Gary Pinkham, Vice President, Åse Lindskog, Vice President,
Investor Relations Head of Media Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 0000 Phone: +46 10 719 9725, +46 730 244 872
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
Susanne Andersson, Ola Rembe, Vice President,
Investor Relations Phone: +46 10 719 9727, +46 730 244 873
Phone: +46 10 719 4631 E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Andreas Hedemyr, Investor
Relations
Phone: +46 10 714 3748
E-mail: [email protected]
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
Org. number: 556016-0680
Torshamnsgatan 23 SE-164 83
Stockholm
Phone: +46 10 719 0000
www.ericsson.com

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT

January 21, 2009

Disclosure Pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act

Ericsson discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication at 07.30 CET, on January 21, 2009.

Safe Harbor Statement of Ericsson under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995;

All statements made or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by us. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “predicts”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “potential”, “continue”, and variations or negatives of these words, and include, among others, statements regarding: (i) strategies, outlook and growth prospects; (ii) positioning to deliver future plans and to realize potential for future growth; (iii) liquidity and capital resources and expenditure, and our credit ratings; (iv) growth in demand for our products and services; (v) our joint venture activities; (vi) economic outlook and industry trends; (vii) developments of our markets; (viii) the impact of regulatory initiatives; (ix) research and development expenditures; (x) the strength of our competitors; (xi) future cost savings; (xii) plans to launch new products and services; (xiii) assessments of risks; (xiv) integration of acquired businesses; (xv) compliance with rules and regulations and (xvi) infringements of intellectual property rights of others.

In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are based upon the information available to us at this time. Such information is subject to change, and we will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Important factors that may cause such a difference for Ericsson include, but are not limited to: (i) material adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or in global economic conditions; (ii) increased product and price competition; (iii) reductions in capital expenditure by network operators; (iv) the cost of technological innovation and increased expenditure to improve quality of service; (v) significant changes in market share for our principal products and services; (vi) foreign exchange rate or interest rate fluctuations; and (vii) the successful implementation of our business and operational initiatives.

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Financial statements Page
Consolidated income statement 14
Consolidated balance sheet 15
Consolidated statement of cash flows 16
Consolidated statement of recognized income and expense 17
Consolidated income statement - isolated quarters 18
Consolidated statement of cash flows - isolated quarters 19
Parent Company income statement 20
Parent Company balance sheet 20
Additional information Page
Accounting policies 21
Net sales by segment by quarter 22
Operating income and margin by segment by quarter 23
Number of employees 23
EBITDA income and margin by segment by quarter 24
Restructuring costs by quarter 24
Net sales by market area by quarter 25
External net sales by market area by segment 26
Top 15 markets in sales 26
Transactions with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications 27
Provisions 27
Other information 28
Ericsson planning assumptions for year 2009 28

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Consolidated Income Statement

SEK million Oct - Dec — 2008 2007 Change Jan - Dec — 2008 2007 Change
Net sales 67,025 54,460 23 % 208,930 187,780 11 %
Cost of sales -44,522 -34,809 28 % -134,661 -114,059 18 %
Gross income 22,503 19,651 15 % 74,269 73,721 1 %
Gross margin % 33.6 % 36.1 % 35.5 % 39.3 %
Research and development expenses -8,227 -7,952 3 % -33,584 -28,842 16 %
Selling and administrative expenses -8,293 -7,238 15 % -26,974 -23,199 16 %
Operating expenses -16,520 -15,190 -60,558 -52,041
Other operating income and expenses 1,502 781 92 % 2,977 1,734 72 %
Share in earnings of JV and associated companies -1,278 2,362 -154 % -436 7,232 -106 %
Operating income 6,207 7,604 -18 % 16,252 30,646 -47 %
Operating margin % 9.3 % 14.0 % 7.8 % 16.3 %
Financial income 1,191 510 3,458 1,778
Financial expenses -882 -517 -2,484 -1,695
Income after financial items 6,516 7,597 -14 % 17,226 30,729 -44 %
Taxes -2,452 -1,774 -5,559 -8,594
Net income 4,064 5,823 -30 % 11,667 22,135 -47 %
Net income attributable to:
Stockholders of the Parent Company 3,885 5,642 11,273 21,836
Minority interests 179 181 394 299
Other information
Average number of shares, basic (million) 1) 3,185 3,179 3,183 3,178
Earnings per share, basic (SEK) 1) 2) 1.22 1.77 3.54 6.87
Earnings per share, diluted (SEK) 1) 2) 1.21 1.77 3.52 6.84

1) A reverse split 1:5 was made in June 2008. Comparative figures are restated accordingly.

2) Based on Net income attributable to stockholders of the Parent Company

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Consolidated Balance Sheet

SEK million Dec 31 2008 Sep 30 2008 Dec 31 2007
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Intangible assets
Capitalized development expenses 2,782 2,675 3,661
Goodwill 24,877 23,026 22,826
Intellectual property rights, brands and other intangible assets 20,587 21,411 23,958
Property, plant and equipment 9,995 9,571 9,304
Financial assets
Equity in JV and associated companies 7,988 8,251 10,903
Other investments in shares and participations 309 1,582 738
Customer financing, non-current 846 533 1,012
Other financial assets, non-current 4,917 2,640 2,918
Deferred tax assets 14,858 14,045 11,690
87,159 83,734 87,010
Current assets
Inventories 27,836 29,687 22,475
Trade receivables 75,891 62,624 60,492
Customer financing, current 1,975 1,670 2,362
Other current receivables 17,818 20,057 15,062
Short-term investments 37,192 31,906 29,406
Cash and cash equivalents 37,813 33,702 28,310
198,525 179,646 158,107
Total assets 285,684 263,380 245,117
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
Equity
Stockholders’ equity 140,823 135,014 134,112
Minority interests in equity of subsidiaries 1,261 989 940
142,084 136,003 135,052
Non-current liabilities
Post-employment benefits 9,873 7,807 6,188
Provisions, non-current 311 287 368
Deferred tax liabilities 2,738 2,620 2,799
Borrowings, non-current 24,939 22,568 21,320
Other non-current liabilities 1,622 1,680 1,714
39,483 34,962 32,389
Current liabilities
Provisions, current 14,039 12,708 9,358
Borrowings, current 5,542 5,028 5,896
Trade payables 23,504 20,273 17,427
Other current liabilities 61,032 54,406 44,995
104,117 92,415 77,676
Total equity and liabilities 285,684 263,380 245,117
Of which interest-bearing liabilities and post-employment benefits 40,354 35,403 33,404
Net cash 34,651 30,205 24,312
Assets pledged as collateral 416 434 1,999
Contingent liabilities 1,080 874 1,182

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Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

SEK million Oct - Dec — 2008 2007 Jan - Dec — 2008 2007
Operating activities
Net income 4,064 5,823 11,667 22,135
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash
Taxes 1,965 49 1,032 1,119
Earnings/dividends in JV and associated companies 1,550 -2,033 4,154 -1,413
Depreciation, amortization and impairment losses 2,059 2,407 8,674 8,363
Other -379 -829 458 -897
9,259 5,417 25,985 29,307
Changes in operating net assets
Inventories 2,768 3,401 -3,927 -445
Customer financing, current and non-current -619 467 549 365
Trade receivables -9,584 -2,948 -11,434 -7,467
Provisions and post-employment benefits 672 -1,011 3,830 -4,401
Other operating assets and liabilities, net 4,467 6,693 8,997 1,851
-2,296 6,602 -1,985 -10,097
Cash flow from operating activities 6,963 12,019 24,000 19,210
Investing activities
Investments in property, plant and equipment -1,297 -1,656 -4,133 -4,319
Sales of property, plant and equipment 628 62 1,373 152
Acquisitions/divestments of subsidiaries and other operations, net 1,113 196 1,836 -26,208
Product development -393 -359 -1,409 -1,053
Other investing activities 884 604 944 396
Short-term investments -5,216 -5,745 -7,155 3,499
Cash flow from investing activities -4,281 -6,898 -8,544 -27,533
Cash flow before financing activities 2,682 5,121 15,456 -8,323
Financing activities
Dividends paid -38 -7 -8,240 -8,132
Other financing activities 856 2,254 1,032 14,390
Cash flow from financing activities 818 2,247 -7,208 6,258
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 611 315 1,255 406
Net change in cash 4,111 7,683 9,503 -1,659
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 33,702 20,627 28,310 29,969
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 37,813 28,310 37,813 28,310

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Consolidated Statement of Recognized Income and Expense

Jan - Dec Jan - Dec
SEK million 2008 2007
Income and expense recognized directly in equity
Actuarial gains and losses related to pensions -4,015 1,208
Revaluation of other investments in shares and participations
Fair value measurement reported in equity -7 2
Cash flow hedges
Fair value remeasurement of derivatives reported in equity -5,080 584
Transferred to income statement for the period 1,192 -1,390
Changes in cumulative translation adjustments 8,539 -797
Tax on items reported directly in/or transferred from equity 2,330 -73
Total transactions reported directly in equity 2,959 -466
Net income 11,667 22,135
Total income and expense recognized for the period 14,626 21,669
Attributable to:
Stockholders of the Parent Company 13,999 21,371
Minority interest 627 298
Other changes in equity:
Stock issue, net 100 —
Sale of own shares -9 62
Stock Purchase- and Stock Option Plans 575 509
Dividends paid
Stockholders of the Parent Company -7,954 -7,943
Minority interest -286 -189
Business combinations
Minority interest -20 49

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Consolidated Income Statement – Isolated Quarters

SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Net sales 67,025 49,198 48,532 44,175 54,460 43,545 47,619 42,156
Cost of sales -44,522 -31,577 -31,206 -27,356 -34,809 -28,050 -27,166 -24,034
Gross income 22,503 17,621 17,326 16,819 19,651 15,495 20,453 18,122
Gross margin % 33.6 % 35.8 % 35.7 % 38.1 % 36.1 % 35.6 % 43.0 % 43.0 %
Research and development expenses -8,227 -7,859 -8,932 -8,566 -7,952 -7,229 -7,208 -6,453
Selling and administrative expenses -8,293 -6,304 -6,271 -6,106 -7,238 -4,783 -5,856 -5,322
Operating expenses -16,520 -14,163 -15,203 -14,672 -15,190 -12,012 -13,064 -11,775
Other operating income and expenses 1,502 332 704 439 781 402 389 162
Share in earnings of JV and associated companies -1,278 -131 62 911 2,362 1,751 1,477 1,642
Operating income 6,207 3,659 2,889 3,497 7,604 5,636 9,255 8,151
Operating margin % 9.3 % 7.4 % 6.0 % 7.9 % 14.0 % 12.9 % 19.4 % 19.3 %
Financial income 1,191 1,099 503 665 510 389 322 556
Financial expenses -882 -618 -511 -473 -517 -442 -292 -443
Income after financial items 6,516 4,140 2,881 3,689 7,597 5,583 9,285 8,264
Taxes -2,452 -1,202 -835 -1,070 -1,774 -1,629 -2,776 -2,415
Net income 4,064 2,938 2,046 2,619 5,823 3,954 6,509 5,849
Net income attributable to:
Stockholders of the Parent Company 3,885 2,842 1,901 2,645 5,642 3,970 6,409 5,815
Minority interests 179 96 145 -26 181 -16 100 34
Other information
Average number of shares, basic (million) 1) 3,185 3,184 3,183 3,181 3,179 3,179 3,178 3,177
Earnings per share, basic (SEK) 1) 2) 1.22 0.89 0.60 0.83 1.77 1.25 2.02 1.83
Earnings per share, diluted (SEK) 1) 2) 1.21 0.89 0.59 0.83 1.77 1.24 2.01 1.79

1) A reverse split 1:5 was made in June 2008. Comparative figures are restated accordingly.

2) Based on Net income attributable to stockholders of the Parent Company.

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Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows – Isolated Quarters

SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Operating activities
Net income 4,064 2,938 2,046 2,619 5,823 3,954 6,509 5,849
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash
Taxes 1,965 -343 -278 -311 49 -65 1,424 -289
Earnings/dividends in JV and associated companies 1,550 909 -41 1,736 -2,033 209 1,915 -1,504
Depreciation, amortization and impairment losses 2,059 1,872 2,529 2,214 2,407 1,953 2,140 1,863
Other -379 1,257 169 -589 -829 63 33 -164
9,259 6,633 4,425 5,669 5,417 6,114 12,021 5,755
Changes in operating net assets
Inventories 2,768 -1,878 -1,906 -2,912 3,401 -1,563 -496 -1,787
Customer financing, current and non-current -619 137 371 660 467 -76 94 -120
Trade receivables -9,584 -3,776 -356 2,282 -2,948 -2,443 -2,276 200
Provisions and post-employment benefits 672 1,620 967 571 -1,011 -824 -507 -2,059
Other operating assets and liabilities, net 4,467 1,027 5,043 -1,540 6,693 -2,813 -4,616 2,587
-2,296 -2,870 4,119 -939 6,602 -7,719 -7,801 -1,179
Cash flow from operating activities 6,963 3,763 8,544 4,730 12,019 -1,605 4,220 4,576
Investing activities
Investments in property, plant and equipment -1,297 -997 -893 -946 -1,656 -871 -1,024 -768
Sales of property, plant and equipment 628 428 108 209 62 13 38 39
Acquisitions/divestments of subsidiaries and other operations, net 1,113 114 602 7 196 -2,444 -8,264 -15,696
Product development -393 -261 -422 -333 -359 -237 -251 -206
Other investing activities 884 -156 12 204 604 -92 -42 -74
Short-term investments -5,216 -4,606 -1,392 4,059 -5,745 67 1,654 7,523
Cash flow from investing activities -4,281 -5,478 -1,985 3,200 -6,898 -3,564 -7,889 -9,182
Cash flow before financing activities 2,682 -1,715 6,559 7,930 5,121 -5,169 -3,669 -4,606
Financing activities
Dividends paid -38 -188 -8,008 -6 -7 -177 -7,948 —
Other financing activities 856 4,783 -3,581 -1,026 2,254 241 11,323 572
Cash flow from financing activities 818 4,595 -11,589 -1,032 2,247 64 3,375 572
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 611 127 308 209 315 171 -337 257
Net change in cash 4,111 3,007 -4,722 7,107 7,683 -4,934 -631 -3,777
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 33,702 30,695 35,417 28,310 20,627 25,561 26,192 29,969
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 37,813 33,702 30,695 35,417 28,310 20,627 25,561 26,192

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Parent Company Income Statement

SEK million Oct - Dec — 2008 2007 Jan - Dec — 2008 2007
Net sales 1,007 783 5,086 3,236
Cost of sales -58 -303 -669 -368
Gross income 949 480 4,417 2,868
Operating expenses -676 -265 -2,384 -1,351
Other operating income and expenses 1,098 923 3,065 2,723
Operating income 1,371 1,138 5,098 4,240
Financial net 517 384 14,340 10,485
Income after financial items 1,888 1,522 19,438 14,725
Transfers to (-) / from untaxed reserves
Taxes -920 -504 -2,211 -1,580
Net income 968 1,018 17,227 13,145
Parent Company Balance Sheet — SEK million Dec 31 2008 Dec 31 2007
ASSETS
Fixed assets
Intangible assets 2,604 2,989
Tangible assets 695 443
Financial assets 98,837 106,478
102,136 109,910
Current assets
Inventories 80 84
Receivables 31,124 28,873
Cash, bank and short-term investments 59,214 45,608
90,418 74,565
Total assets 192,554 184,475
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY, PROVISIONS AND LIABILITIES
Equity
Restricted equity 47,724 47,624
Non-restricted equity 41,954 35,225
89,678 82,849
Untaxed reserves 1,817 1,339
Provisions 1,059 1,057
Non-current liabilities 50,994 50,457
Current liabilities 49,006 48,773
Total stockholders’ equity, provisions and liabilities 192,554 184,475
Assets pledged as collateral 414 359
Contingent liabilities 13,029 9,650

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Accounting Policies

The Group

This interim report is prepared in accordance with IAS 34. The term “IFRS” used in this document refers to the application of IAS and IFRS as well as interpretations of these standards as issued by IASB’s Standards Interpretation Committee (SIC) and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC).

New interpretation (IFRIC), endorsed by the EU

IFRIC 11 IFRS 2 – Group and Treasury Share Transactions requires a share-based payment arrangement in which a company receives goods or services as consideration for its own equity instruments to be accounted for as an equity-settled share-based payment transaction, regardless of how the equity instruments are obtained. IFRIC 11 is mandatory for the Company’s 2008 financial statements, with retrospective application required. It has not had any impact on the consolidated financial statements since the Company is not buying equity instruments from other parties to satisfy its obligations to its employees.

Renaming of recommendations issued by the Swedish Financial Accounting Standards Council

(Rådet för finansiell rapportering)

The Swedish Financial Accounting Standards Council issues recommendations in relation to matters that are unique for Sweden. These recommendations have from January 1, 2008, been given new names. The content of the renamed recommendations has not been changed.

Reverse split

The Annual General Meeting on April 9, 2008 resolved on a reverse split 1:5 of the Company’s shares. The reverse split has the effect that five shares of series A and five shares of series B, respectively, are consolidated into one share of series A and one share of series B, respectively. Numbers of shares and Earnings per share for comparison periods have been restated accordingly.

Changes in financial reporting structure

Operations related to product area Internet Payment Exchange (IPX) have been transferred from Segment Professional Services to Segment Multimedia as from April 1, 2008. Financial statements for the first quarter 2008 have been restated accordingly. No restate is made for year 2007, as the amounts are not material.

The Parent Company

Recommendations issued by the Swedish Financial Accounting Standards Council (Rådet för finansiell rapportering), related to the Parent Company have been renamed. The content of the renamed recommendations has not been changed.

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Net Sales by Segment by Quarter

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 1) 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 45,767 33,017 33,274 29,992 37,463 28,538 33,666 29,350
Of which Network rollout 7,555 4,679 4,776 4,520 6,444 4,002 4,309 3,752
Professional Services 16,199 11,750 11,018 10,011 12,134 10,995 10,257 9,516
Of which Managed services 4,270 3,458 3,416 3,112 3,318 3,352 2,910 2,592
Multimedia 5,059 4,431 4,240 4,172 4,868 4,017 3,650 3,370
Less: Intersegment sales — — — — -5 -5 46 -80
Total 67,025 49,198 48,532 44,175 54,460 43,545 47,619 42,156
2008 2007
Sequential change, percent Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 1) Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 39 % -1 % 11 % -20 % 31 % -15 % 15 % -25 %
Of which Network rollout 61 % -2 % 6 % -30 % 61 % -7 % 15 % -32 %
Professional Services 38 % 7 % 10 % -17 % 10 % 7 % 8 % -10 %
Of which Managed services 23 % 1 % 10 % -6 % -1 % 15 % 12 % 3 %
Multimedia 14 % 5 % 2 % -14 % 21 % 10 % 8 % -26 %
Total 36 % 1 % 10 % -19 % 25 % -9 % 13 % -22 %
2008 2007
Year over year change, percent Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 1) Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 22 % 16 % -1 % 2 % -4 % -2 % 7 % 5 %
Of which Network rollout 17 % 17 % 11 % 20 % 16 % 14 % 26 % -4 %
Professional Services 34 % 7 % 7 % 5 % 15 % 26 % 11 % 15 %
Of which Managed services 29 % 3 % 17 % 20 % 32 % 50 % 21 % 11 %
Multimedia 4 % 10 % 16 % 24 % 7 % 31 % 6 % 19 %
Total 23 % 13 % 2 % 5 % 0 % 6 % 6 % 7 %
2008 2007
Year to date, SEK million 0812 0809 0806 0803 1) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 142,050 96,283 63,266 29,992 129,017 91,554 63,016 29,350
Of which Network rollout 21,530 13,975 9,296 4,520 18,507 12,063 8,061 3,752
Professional Services 48,978 32,779 21,029 10,011 42,902 30,768 19,773 9,516
Of which Managed services 14,256 9,986 6,528 3,112 12,172 8,854 5,502 2,592
Multimedia 17,902 12,843 8,412 4,172 15,905 11,037 7,020 3,370
Less: Intersegment sales — — — — -44 -39 -34 -80
Total 208,930 141,905 92,707 44,175 187,780 133,320 89,775 42,156
Year to date, year over year change, percent 2008 2007
0812 0809 0806 0803 1) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 10 % 5 % 0 % 2 % 1 % 3 % 6 % 5 %
Of which Network rollout 16 % 16 % 15 % 20 % 13 % 11 % 10 % -4 %
Professional Services 14 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 16 % 17 % 13 % 15 %
Of which Managed services 17 % 13 % 19 % 20 % 28 % 27 % 16 % 11 %
Multimedia 13 % 16 % 20 % 24 % 14 % 18 % 12 % 19 %
Total 11 % 6 % 3 % 5 % 4 % 6 % 6 % 7 %

1) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

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Operating Income by Segment by Quarter

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2) 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 4,943 2,454 1,803 1,945 3,836 2,256 6,396 4,910
Professional Services 2,226 1,509 1,337 1,274 1,792 1,682 1,515 1,405
Multimedia 554 9 -172 -509 -439 42 -11 273
Phones -1,280 -142 24 895 2,286 1,737 1,464 1,621
Unallocated 1) -236 -171 -103 -108 129 -81 -109 -58
Total 6,207 3,659 2,889 3,497 7,604 5,636 9,255 8,151
2008 2007
Year to date, SEK million 0812 0809 0806 0803 2) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 11,145 6,202 3,748 1,945 17,398 13,562 11,306 4,910
Professional Services 6,346 4,120 2,611 1,274 6,394 4,602 2,920 1,405
Multimedia -118 -672 -681 -509 -135 304 262 273
Phones -503 777 919 895 7,108 4,822 3,085 1,621
Unallocated 1) -618 -382 -211 -108 -119 -248 -167 -58
Total 16,252 10,045 6,386 3,497 30,646 23,042 17,406 8,151

1) “Unallocated” consists mainly of costs for corporate staffs, non-operational capital gains and losses.

2) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

Operating Margin by Segment by Quarter

As percentage of net sales, isolated quarters 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2) 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 11 % 7 % 5 % 7 % 10 % 8 % 19 % 17 %
Professional Services 14 % 13 % 12 % 13 % 15 % 15 % 15 % 15 %
Multimedia 11 % 0 % -4 % -12 % -9 % 1 % 0 % 8 %
Total 9 % 7 % 6 % 8 % 14 % 13 % 19 % 19 %
As percentage of net sales, Year to date 2008 2007
0812 0809 0806 0803 2) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 8 % 6 % 6 % 7 % 13 % 15 % 18 % 17 %
Professional Services 13 % 13 % 12 % 13 % 15 % 15 % 15 % 15 %
Multimedia -1 % -5 % -8 % -12 % -1 % 3 % 4 % 8 %
Total 8 % 7 % 7 % 8 % 16 % 17 % 19 % 19 %

Calculation not applicable for segment Phones and Unallocated.

2) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

Number of Employees

End of period 2008 — 0812 0809 0806 0803 2007 — 0712 0709 0706 0703
Western Europe 1) 41,600 41,800 42,000 42,100 41,500 40,300 39,600 38,050
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 8,700 8,350 8,000 7,700 7,350 6,850 6,200 6,600
Asia Pacific 14,450 14,100 13,700 13,450 13,100 12,350 11,650 11,000
Latin America 8,250 7,450 6,600 6,250 6,550 6,000 5,050 4,600
North America 5,750 5,650 5,500 5,500 5,500 5,450 5,000 4,900
Total 78,750 77,350 75,800 75,000 74,000 70,950 67,500 65,150
1) Of which Sweden 20,150 20,250 20,250 20,200 19,800 19,450 19,300 18,900

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FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2008

January 21, 2009

EBITDA by Segment by Quarter

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 1) Q1 2) 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 6,417 3,628 3,510 3,690 5,767 3,846 8,183 6,643
Professional Services 2,365 1,811 1,589 1,480 1,988 1,828 1,689 1,494
Multimedia 1,001 403 400 -246 -159 260 167 314
Phones -1,280 -142 24 895 2,286 1,737 1,464 1,621
Unallocated 3) -236 -171 -103 -108 129 -81 -109 -58
Total 8,267 5,529 5,420 5,711 10,011 7,590 11,394 10,014
2008 2007
Year to date, SEK million 0812 0809 0806 0803 2) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 17,245 10,828 7,200 3,690 24,439 18,672 14,826 6,643
Professional Services 7,245 4,880 3,069 1,480 6,999 5,011 3,183 1,494
Multimedia 1,558 557 154 -246 582 741 481 314
Phones -503 777 919 895 7,108 4,822 3,085 1,621
Unallocated 3) -618 -382 -211 -108 -119 -248 -167 -58
Total 24,927 16,660 11,131 5,711 39,009 28,998 21,408 10,014

1) Second quarter 2008 for Multimedia is affected by SEK 156 m. due to changed allocation of capitalized development expenses.

2) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

3) “Unallocated” consists mainly of costs for corporate staffs, non-operational capital gains and losses.

EBITDA Margin by Segment by Quarter

As percentage of net sales, isolated quarters 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 1) Q1 2) 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks 14 % 11 % 11 % 12 % 15 % 13 % 24 % 23 %
Professional Services 15 % 15 % 14 % 15 % 16 % 17 % 16 % 16 %
Multimedia 20 % 9 % 9 % -6 % -3 % 6 % 5 % 9 %
Total 12 % 11 % 11 % 13 % 18 % 17 % 24 % 24 %
As percentage of net sales, Year to date 2008 2007
0812 0809 0806 1) 0803 2) 0712 0709 0706 0703
Networks 12 % 11 % 11 % 12 % 19 % 20 % 24 % 23 %
Professional Services 15 % 15 % 15 % 15 % 16 % 16 % 16 % 16 %
Multimedia 9 % 4 % 2 % -6 % 4 % 7 % 7 % 9 %
Total 12 % 12 % 12 % 13 % 21 % 22 % 24 % 24 %

Calculation not applicable for segment Phones and Unallocated.

1) Second quarter 2008 for Multimedia is affected by SEK 156 m. due to changed allocation of capitalized development expenses.

2) First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

Restructuring costs by Quarter

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Networks -1,590 -1,330 -1,519 -692
Professional Services -640 -374 -170 -88
Multimedia -48 -141 -138 -10
Phones -681 -165 — —
Unallocated -12 -8 — —
Total -2,971 -2,018 -1,827 -790
2008
Year to Date, SEK million 0812 0809 0806 0803
Networks -5,131 -3,541 -2,211 -692
Professional Services -1,272 -632 -258 -88
Multimedia -337 -289 -148 -10
Phones -846 -165 — —
Unallocated -20 -8 — —
Total -7,606 -4,635 -2,617 -790

No restructuring charges were recognized during 2007.

24

FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2008

January 21, 2009

Net Sales by Market Area by Quarter

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Western Europe 1) 16,135 11,629 12,125 11,681 15,396 12,341 12,440 12,508
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 17,635 13,069 11,253 11,123 14,256 11,957 11,468 10,980
Asia Pacific 20,500 14,114 15,785 12,908 13,734 12,027 16,616 12,252
Latin America 7,855 6,083 4,956 4,154 6,750 4,240 4,083 3,310
North America 4,900 4,303 4,413 4,309 4,324 2,980 3,012 3,106
Total 2) 67,025 49,198 48,532 44,175 54,460 43,545 47,619 42,156
1) Of which Sweden 2,384 2,191 2,308 1,993 2,453 1,946 2,055 1,941
2) Of which EU 18,371 13,059 13,427 12,744 17,575 13,643 13,977 13,783
Sequential change, percent 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Western Europe 1) 39 % -4 % 4 % -24 % 25 % -1 % -1 % -27 %
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 35 % 16 % 1 % -22 % 19 % 4 % 4 % -23 %
Asia Pacific 45 % -11 % 22 % -6 % 14 % -28 % 36 % -12 %
Latin America 29 % 23 % 19 % -38 % 59 % 4 % 23 % -31 %
North America 14 % -2 % 2 % 0 % 45 % -1 % -3 % -22 %
Total 2) 36 % 1 % 10 % -19 % 25 % -9 % 13 % -22 %
1) Of which Sweden 9 % -5 % 16 % -19 % 26 % -5 % 6 % -15 %
2) Of which EU 41 % -3 % 5 % -27 % 29 % -2 % 1 % -26 %
Year-over-year change, percent 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Western Europe 1) 5 % -6 % -3 % -7 % -10 % 6 % -3 % 9 %
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 24 % 9 % -2 % 1 % -1 % 10 % -3 % 16 %
Asia Pacific 49 % 17 % -5 % 5 % -2 % 3 % 32 % 26 %
Latin America 16 % 43 % 21 % 25 % 41 % 1 % 7 % -9 %
North America 13 % 44 % 47 % 39 % 9 % 3 % -19 % -41 %
Total 2) 23 % 13 % 2 % 5 % 0 % 6 % 6 % 7 %
1) Of which Sweden -3 % 13 % 12 % 3 % 7 % 3 % 2 % 19 %
2) Of which EU 5 % -4 % -4 % -8 % -6 % 5 % -6 % 11 %
Year to date, SEK million 2008 — 0812 0809 0806 0803 2007 — 0712 0709 0706 0703
Western Europe 1) 51,570 35,435 23,806 11,681 52,685 37,289 24,948 12,508
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 53,080 35,445 22,376 11,123 48,661 34,405 22,448 10,980
Asia Pacific 63,307 42,807 28,693 12,908 54,629 40,895 28,868 12,252
Latin America 23,048 15,193 9,110 4,154 18,383 11,633 7,393 3,310
North America 17,925 13,025 8,722 4,309 13,422 9,098 6,118 3,106
Total 2) 208,930 141,905 92,707 44,175 187,780 133,320 89,775 42,156
1) Of which Sweden 8,876 6,492 4,301 1,993 8,395 5,942 3,996 1,941
2) Of which EU 57,601 39,230 26,171 12,744 58,978 41,403 27,760 13,783
Year to date, — year-over-year change, percent 2008 — 0812 0809 0806 0803 2007 — 0712 0709 0706 0703
Western Europe 1) -2 % -5 % -5 % -7 % -1 % 4 % 2 % 9 %
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 9 % 3 % 0 % 1 % 5 % 7 % 6 % 16 %
Asia Pacific 16 % 5 % -1 % 5 % 14 % 21 % 29 % 26 %
Latin America 25 % 31 % 23 % 25 % 12 % 0 % -1 % -9 %
North America 34 % 43 % 43 % 39 % -15 % -24 % -32 % -41 %
Total 2) 11 % 6 % 3 % 5 % 4 % 6 % 6 % 7 %
1) Of which Sweden 6 % 9 % 8 % 3 % 8 % 8 % 10 % 19 %
2) Of which EU -2 % -5 % -6 % -8 % 0 % 3 % 2 % 11 %

25

FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2008

January 21, 2009

External Net Sales by Market Area by Segment

SEK, million — Oct - Dec 2008 Networks Professional — Services Multimedia Total
Western Europe 8,614 5,517 2,004 16,135
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 12,716 3,512 1,407 17,635
Asia Pacific 16,038 3,713 749 20,500
Latin America 5,385 1,982 488 7,855
North America 3,014 1,475 411 4,900
Total 45,767 16,199 5,059 67,025
Share of Total 68 % 24 % 8 % 100 %
SEK, million Professional
Year to date 2008 Networks Services Multimedia Total
Western Europe 25,642 18,537 7,391 51,570
Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa 38,364 9,843 4,873 53,080
Asia Pacific 49,843 10,507 2,957 63,307
Latin America 16,096 5,522 1,430 23,048
North America 12,105 4,569 1,251 17,925
Total 142,050 48,978 17,902 208,930
Share of Total 68 % 23 % 9 % 100 %

First quarter 2008 is restated for the transfer of the IPX operations from Professional Services to Multimedia.

Top 15 Markets in Sales

Market Year to date Share of total sales Q4 Share of iso. total sales
India 7 % 7 %
China 7 % 8 %
United States 7 % 6 %
Italy 5 % 6 %
Indonesia 4 % 4 %
Sweden 4 % 4 %
Brazil 4 % 4 %
Spain 4 % 3 %
United Kingdom 3 % 3 %
Japan 3 % 4 %
Nigeria 2 % 3 %
Russian Federation 2 % 3 %
Germany 2 % 2 %
Australia 2 % 2 %
Mexico 2 % 2 %

26

FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2008

January 21, 2009

Transactions with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Revenues from Sony Ericsson 1,568 1,470 1,271 1,547 1,930 1,242 1,411 1,160
Purchases from Sony Ericsson 52 19 20 170 39 11 232 51
Receivables from Sony Ericsson 1,002 952 927 1,097 932 132 178 116
Liabilities to Sony Ericsson 176 237 186 330 204 1,357 2,464 3,720
Dividends from Sony Ericsson — 1,407 — 2,220 — 1,388 2,561 —

Provisions

Isolated quarters, SEK million 2008 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 2007 — Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Opening balance 12,995 11,106 10,056 9,726 10,357 11,675 12,291 13,882
Additions 3,800 3,418 2,724 2,019 1,710 874 1,056 1,519
Utilization/Cash out -2,321 -1,595 -1,343 -781 -1,215 -1,341 -1,276 -2,476
Reversal of excess amounts -832 -117 -244 -622 -1,401 -668 -1,006 -675
Reclassification, translation difference and other 708 183 -87 -286 275 -183 610 41
Closing balance 14,350 12,995 11,106 10,056 9,726 10,357 11,675 12,291
Year to date, SEK million 2008 — 0812 0809 0806 0803 2007 — 0712 0709 0706 0703
Opening balance 9,726 9,726 9,726 9,726 13,882 13,882 13,882 13,882
Additions 11,961 8,161 4,743 2,019 5,159 3,449 2,575 1,519
Utilization/Cash out -6,040 -3,719 -2,124 -781 -6,308 -5,093 -3,752 -2,476
Reversal of excess amounts -1,815 -983 -866 -622 -3,750 -2,349 -1,681 -675
Reclassification, translation difference and other 518 -190 -373 -286 743 468 651 41
Closing balance 14,350 12,995 11,106 10,056 9,726 10,357 11,675 12,291

27

FOURTH QUARTER REPORT 2008

January 21, 2009

Other Information

Oct - Dec — 2008 2007 Jan - Dec — 2008 2007
Number of shares and earnings per share 1)
Number of shares, end of period (million) 3,246 3,226 3,246 3,226
of which A-shares (million) 262 262 262 262
of which B-shares (million) 2,984 2,964 2,984 2,964
Number of treasury shares, end of period (million) 61 46 61 46
Number of shares outstanding, basic, end of period (million) 3,185 3,180 3,185 3,180
Numbers of shares outstanding, diluted, end of period (million) 3,205 3,195 3,205 3,195
Average number of treasury shares (million) 62 47 52 48
Average number of shares outstanding, basic (million) 3,185 3,179 3,183 3,178
Average number of shares outstanding, diluted (million) 2) 3,204 3,194 3,202 3,193
Earnings per share, basic (SEK) 1.22 1.77 3.54 6.87
Earnings per share, diluted (SEK) 2) 1.21 1.77 3.52 6.84
Ratios
Equity ratio, percent — — 49.7 % 55.1 %
Capital turnover (times) 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2
Trade receivable turnover (times) 3.9 3.7 3.1 3.4
Inventory turnover (times) 6.2 5.8 5.4 5.2
Return on equity, percent 11.3 % 17.1 % 8.2 % 17.2 %
Return on capital employed, percent 16.7 % 19.6 % 11.3 % 20.9 %
Days Sales Outstanding — — 106 102
Payable days 45 43 55 57
Payment readiness, end of period — — 84,917 64,678
Payment readiness, as percentage of sales — — 40.6 % 34.4 %
Exchange rates used in the consolidation
SEK / EUR - average rate — — 9.67 9.24
- closing
rate — — 10.95 9.45
SEK / USD - average rate — — 6.61 6.74
- closing
rate — — 7.73 6.43
Other
Additions to property, plant and equipment 1,297 1,656 4,133 4,319
of which in Sweden 519 366 1,631 1,250
Additions to capitalized development expenses 393 359 1,409 1,053
Capitalization of development expenses, net 107 -292 -879 -1,334
Depreciation, amortization and impairment losses
Development expenses 286 651 2,288 2,387
Property, plant and equipment and other intangible assets 1,773 1,756 6,386 5,976
Total 2,059 2,407 8,674 8,363
Export sales from Sweden 30,659 29,399 109,254 102,486

1) A reverse split 1:5 was made in June 2008. Comparative figures are restated accordingly.

2) Potential ordinary shares are not considered when their conversion to ordinary shares would increase earnings per share.

Ericsson Planning Assumptions for Year 2009

Research and development expenses

We estimate R&D expenses for the full year 2009 to be at around SEK 27-28 b. The estimate includes amortizations/write-downs of intangible assets related to major acquisitions previously made and excludes Ericsson Mobile Platforms, restructuring. However, currency effects may cause this to change.

Tax rate

We estimate the tax rate for the full year 2009 to be approximately 28-32%.

Capital expenditures

Excluding acquisitions, the capital expenditures in relation to sales are not expected to be significantly different in 2009, remaining at roughly two percent of sales.

Utilization of provisions

The expected utilization of provisions for year 2009 will be stated in the Annual report.

28

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

T ELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM E RICSSON ( PUBL )
By: / S / C ARL O LOF B LOMQVIST
Carl Olof Blomqvist
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
By: / S / H ENRY S TÉNSON
Henry Sténson
Senior Vice President Corporate Communications

Date: January 21, 2009