reports
- Chris Hoare
South Korean Telcos Explosive share price performance – is it sustain...
One word I never expected to write in connection with Korean telco share prices is explosive. However, after a tough 2025, 2026 has started in spectacular fashion with all three up between 20 and 50% ytd, as the market wakes up to their combination of cheap valuation, improving returns and exposure to AI. This note runs through how the sector is delivering against “value up” strategies and likely progression going forward.
- Chris Hoare
KT Corp (Buy, KRW 105,000, +73%) Q4 25 Quick Take: Dividend hiked mor...
KT printed decent results; Total service revenue accelerated and management announced a 20% increase in dividend per share. As previously announced the company is also proceeding with a KRW 250bn share buyback and cancellation this year.
- Chris Hoare
KDDI (Buy, TP: ¥3,150, +13%) Q3 FY25 Quick Take: Good results masked ...
Due an investigation into its subsidiaries, KDDI results were restated and may be subject to further revision. Based on the results of the investigation, final corrected results will be reported by end March 2026. We comment on current preliminary results. On that basis, KDDI had a good quarter. Total Revenue and EBIT accelerated and were up 4.6% and 8.6% respectively. Softbank Corp remains our preferred pick in Japan, followed by KDDI and NTT.
- Chris Hoare
SK Telecom (Buy, KRW 78,000, +1%) Q4 25 Quick Take: Mixed recovery an...
Numbers were mixed and together with the absence of dividends this quarter means these results are overall negative. However, like all the Korean telcos on valuation we think SKT is compelling for investors, despite strength so far this year. We therefore stay Buyers with a KRW 78k price target.
- Chris Hoare
NTT Corp (Buy, TP: ¥215, +39%) Q3 FY25 Quick Take: ARPU recovery cont...
NTT's 3Q results largely improved. Key points to note is the continued recovery in ARPU in mobile, and continued revenue recovery in the Global Solutions and Regional business. However, mobile marketing spend has dented profitability again, with management revising guidance for full year 2025 across the board downwards. We continue to be Buyers but prefer KDDI and SB (our top pick among the 3 Japanese incumbents).
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos & Towers – Strong start – NSR GEM Top-10 February ‘26...
Our portfolio of Top Picks has started 2026 strongly, up 6% ytd already. This month we make no changes to our top picks. This note also includes key news & other thoughts, to try to help investors generate alpha within the EM Telco space.
- Chris Hoare
EM Tower Trends Q3 CY25 review: Solid quarter, especially in Africa
Tower revenue trends were slightly slower across the board except for Indus Towers as it benefited again from VIL’s network catch up spend. EBITDA margins were roughly stable across EM except in Indonesia which faces the near-term pressure of the XL-Smartfren consolidation. Africa continue to perform well and the LatAm Towers space had a decent Q3.
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos & Towers 2025 wrapped. NSR GEM 2026 Top-10 unveiled:...
2025 was when the EM Telco bull market really took off. Two of our top picks returned >100% and four more 50%+. We make one change to our top picks for 2026 from 2025, introducing Megacable in exchange for IHS Towers. In a separate note out today we run through the Themes that we think will drive performance in 2026.
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos & Towers Themes and Top picks for 2026
EM Telcos have been strong for some time, but 2025 was a banner year. Multiples have expanded somewhat, but we remain bullish, as we think EM Telcos operate on a long cycle driven by market structure which has now definitively turned up We therefore see EM Telcos in a true stealth bull market as conditions still seem ripe for the best to exhibit pricing power and hence GDP+ revenue growth and rising ROIC. This note explains the key themes we see for 2026.
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos Fish in a barrel? 8 Themes that drove EM Telcos in 2...
2025 was a banner year for EM Telcos, following on from a good 2023 and 2024. As we head towards the New Year we thought it might be useful to highlight a few of the thematic pieces we wrote last year that we think help to highlight why EM Telcos are in a clear and sustained bull market and why therefore we are confident that 2026 will be another good year for investors in the space, as fundamentals continue to look much stronger than in the past. I hope you enjoy reading these and happy holiday...
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos & Japan DC exposure, future developments and valuati...
EM & Japanese Telcos have more DC capacity than those in other regions. In this short note, we look at the current and future Data Center (DC) capacity for the telcos in our coverage as well as the potential valuation for these assets, in an attempt to contextualise this exposure.
- Chris Hoare
South Korean Telcos Q3 25 review: Stable; expect new KT CEO to be ann...
Both KT and LG Uplus did better at SKT’s expense, with the latter impacted by Q2’s outflow and 50% discount offered in August as a result of April’s cyberattack. The search for KT’s new CEO narrowed to 3 candidates – 2 internal and 1 external; we should expect to hear the appointment by March’s AGM. Although this creates some risk, KT remains one of our Top Picks in GEM Telcos for its exposure to Enterprise and value-up dynamic.
- Chris Hoare
Global EM Telcos & Towers Blow out Q3 results drive another great mon...
EM Telco earnings season was extremely strong, and with 8 of our 10 picks reporting this month, our picks rose 6.8% on average in November and are now up 80% YTD. With Singtel having strongly outperformed, Bharti we swap the latter in for the former; this note also includes key news & other thoughts, to try to help investors generate alpha within the EM Telco space.
- Chris Hoare
Bharti Airtel (Buy, INR 2,750 from INR 2,180, +32%) All cylinders fir...
Bharti has always performed well in anticipation of price increases, which we think are likely in H1 next year. The company also looks set to be seeing accelerating growth in both Home, and Enterprise, while Airtel Africa continues to knock it out of the park, and capex is constrained. What’s not to like? PT to 2,750.
- Chris Hoare
- Chris Hoare
KT Corp (Buy, KRW 105,000, +117%) Q3 25 Quick Take: Good progress mas...
KT printed a decent set of results; however, we think this was overshadowed by the search for its next CEO and news of the hacking incidents which have plagued the industry. Although the size of breach is on a much smaller scale compared to SK Telecom, ongoing investigations remain an overhang.
- Chris Hoare
KDDI (Buy, TP: ¥3,150, +28%) Q2 FY25 Quick Take: On track for a stron...
KDDI posted better trends following a modest Q1. Revenue was 1% ahead while EBIT inflected to growth. Management has also given more clarity on the EBIT growth going into 2H, expecting a 10% growth based on its unchanged guidance which is in line with consensus. Softbank Corp remains our preferred pick in Japan, followed by KDDI and NTT.
- Chris Hoare
LG Uplus (Buy, KRW 19,000, +27%) Q3 25 Quick Take: Better trends acro...
LG Uplus delivered a strong set of results as trends improved across the board. Service revenue topped expectations by 1%. The company recognised a one-off voluntary retirement cost which bodes well for future margins. Excluding the impact, underlying EBITDA would accelerate.
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