TIM Brasil sees profit margin rising in coming years

SAO PAULO Oct 31 (Reuters) - TIM Participaçoes, Brazil's second-largest wireless phone company, expects its operating profit margin to rise in coming years, an executive told analysts on a Wednesday call to discuss third-quarter earnings.

The Brazilian affiliate of Telecom Italia expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a gauge of operating profit known as EBITDA, to equal around 28 percent to 30 percent of revenue over the next three years.

TIM's so-called EBITDA margin fell to 25.5 percent in the third quarter from 26.5 percent a year earlier, reducing the margin in the first nine months of 2011 to 26.1 percent.