reports
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
Airtel Africa (Buy, TP: GBP1.5, +42%) Q4 24: Decent, Solid top line b...
Airtel Africa has published a decent set of Q4 results. Top line performance remained strong, service revenue growth in local currency came in above consensus expectations and above our expectations. EBITDA trends slowed (but remained decent given the macro context in Q1) and margins came in 1pp below consensus and us.
- Soomit Datta
VIVT3 (Buy, TP: BRL61, +23%) Vivo - Solid underlying Q1s – headline E...
Underlying Q1 trends remained robust at Vivo, with revenue in-line (+7% y/y growth) and headline EBITDA missing (1.5%) only due to other items in the cost base (gains/sales) fluctuating. Excluding this and underlying EBITDA of +9% y/y was steady on Q4, and comparable to TIM’s +10% (reported yesterday). Vivo’s mobile service revenue was the strongest in Brazil vs peers, offset slightly by lower fixed growth (the more volatile data/IT business slowing this quarter).
- Soomit Datta
TIMS3 (Buy, TP: BRL23, +24%) TIM Brasil - Solid Q1s, trending ahead o...
TIM reported solid Q1 24 earnings overnight, coming in a shade of ahead of estimates (1% at EBITDA). Service revenue growth remains robust at >7% y/y, with some seasonality potentially impacting Q1 pre-pay revenue; EBITDA of +10% y/y and EBITDAaL +20% y/y is also very strong (and well ahead of 4% inflation), the latter enjoying historic lease reductions (though these are now sequentially stabilising). Q1 trends are tracking a touch above FY guide, potentially enabling further earnings uplift.
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
Thai Telcos Q4 23 review: Turning the corner as ARPU grew after more ...
Thai operators witnessed a notable uptick in growth as industry mobile ARPU reverted to growth after more than three years. EBITDA also bounced higher led by TRUE, setting the stage for 9-11% growth in FY24. Guided capex also suggests moderating capex intensity which is key driver of ROIC upside. The outlook is turning more optimistic than before, validated by our recent visit of the two telcos.
- Chris Hoare
African Telcos Deep dive on Fintech valuations; stay Bullish on AAF a...
We deep dive on African Telco’s Fintech valuations in this note which is a follow up of our higher-level note Show me the (Mobile) Money. African Telcos are becoming more active about unlocking value from Mobile Money (MoMo) with MTN’s recent deal with Mastercard and now rumours that AAF is looking to IPO its MoMo business. Global Fintech/Payments multiples have derated over the past couple of years, but we continue to see great value in the African Telco’s MoMo assets which remain one the key n...
- Chris Hoare
Thai Telcos Takeaways from Meetings with the Thai Telcos in Bangkok
Our meetings with the two Thai operators (& NBTC) validate our view of a benign mobile dynamic, supported by improving tourism, and sharp capex reductions. Both operators remain focused on profitable growth. TRUE seems very confident on synergy delivery.
- James Ratzer
Telecom Italia (Buy, €0.35, +58%) Piecing together the puzzle post-CMD
We recently attended the Telecom Italia CMD in person and the management dinner afterwards. Given the stock fell by 20%+, it’s fair to say the event didn’t quite go as initially planned. In this note we review the situation now the dust has settled a bit, and now we feel we have better visibility on the key drivers behind the operational forecasts and the below-the-line cash items.
- Soomit Datta
TIMS3 (Buy, TP: BRL23, +27%) TIM B - Improving cash returns, though t...
TIM Brasil updated on its cash return policy today, targeting ~BRL12 billion of shareholder returns from 2024-26. This is a strongly improving trend (BRL2.9 billion for 2023), annualizing out at a 9% yield in Brazil (where headline interest rates are falling sharply) and we see this as very supportive for the equity when combined with the strong fundamentals. At the same time, TIM will remain net cash (ex leases) over this forecast period and we see a bigger day of reckoning coming for the Brazi...
- James Ratzer
- James Ratzer
- James Ratzer
- Soomit Datta
TIMS3 (Buy, TP: BRL23, +27%) TIM Brasil - Solid Q4, mid-term guide hi...
TIM Brasil reported solid Q4s, with a mid-term outlook which sees consensus at the bottom of the newly guided to range for service revenue (5-6%) and EBITDA (6-8%) out to 2026 (i.e. real growth given ~3.5% inflation expectations looking forward). Given TIM’s ability to meet or beat in the past, this suggests earnings momentum can continue to be strong.
- Soomit Datta
LatAm Telcos – 2024 Outlook: Top picks Brazil (TIM and Vivo) and Megac...
After strong stock performance in 2023 we think the Brazilians will continue to perform into 2024 on the back of solid wireless fundamentals: rising prices, revenue/EBITDA > inflation, falling capex/sales – and with IOC (tax) risks in the rear view for now. Shareholder returns are also sector leading whilst valuations are attractive (notably versus quickly falling rates).
- Chris Hoare
ASEAN Telcos Outlook 2024; Continued market repair in Indonesia, Thai...
After a decent 2023, in 2024 we are likely to see further evidence of market repair in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia driven by consolidation in both Mobile and Broadband. The economic outlook in the region is generally positive too, helped by post-Covid tailwinds, and China decoupling.
- Chris Hoare
Thai Telcos Q3 23 review: Market continues to repair
Market repair drove faster revenue growth and rising margins for both AIS and TRUE. For mobile, AIS is finally back to positive ARPU YoY growth after fourteen quarters of YoY declines. This suggests to us that the outlook turning more optimistic than before.
- Soomit Datta
TIM/Vivo - Maintain Buys; Solid Wireless supported by improving Tower ...
Despite the 40-45% rally YTD we continue to like the Brazilian Telco stocks. Wireless operator dynamics remain very favourable with FCF supported significantly for TIM in the near-term by Oi tower decommissioning, with a potentially broader reset for the industry relative to the Tower cos over the mid-term (part of a broader EM theme perhaps following IHS in Nigeria).
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
AIS (Buy, TP: THB285, +28%) AIS (Buy) – Thai regulator greenlights th...
Last Friday, the NBTC has approved the acquisition of Triple T Broadband (3BB) by AIS. This moves the Thai operator up to the top spot in the fixed broadband market with c.36% on our estimates. The remedies were fairly reasonable in our view.
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