Category: M1
M1 – CIMB
Matching SingTel’s 4G prices
M1 does not appear to be trying to claw back market share, judging from the pricing of its new 4G small screen data plans, which closely mirror that of SingTel. M1 priced its 4G plans 5-27% above its 3G plans and 2-3% below SingTel’s.
Not surprisingly, it reduced its data bundles, mirroring SingTel, to better monetise data. The pricier 4G plans and reduced data bundles will help bolster its ARPUs. We maintain Neutral on M1 with a DCF-based target price (WACC 7.6%) and advocate a switch to StarHub, which offers higher dividend yields and potential for capital management.
What Happened
M1 launched new small and large screen data plans and introduced nationwide 4G services. The key takeaways from the unveiling are:
1) M1’s 4G plans are S$10.70/month or 5-27% more expensive than its equivalent 3G plans and 2-3% below similar SingTel plans.
2) M1 reduced voice bundles, threw in more SMS and raised the price of its top-end plan marginally compared to its previous small screen data plans (Figures 1 and 2).
3) Not surprisingly, it divided data bundles from a flat 12GB to tiered amounts of 2GB, 3GB, 5GB and 12GB, mirroring SingTel.
4) M1 also launched 4G large screen data plans.
The key difference between the operators’ plans is recontracting M1 users will be given extra 1GB data on the new small and large screen plans.
What We Think
We view M1’s upward repricing and tiering of data bundles positively but they are unlikely to help the telco claw back market share (Figure 5) as they are very similar to that of SingTel. Throwing in 1GB extra for recontracting users will help it retain customers but, overall, will not appeal to non-M1 customers. SingTel’s offerings are still more attractive as it also offers bundling discounts for pay TV and broadband. That said, the pricier 4G plans and reduced data bundles will help M1 bolster its ARPUs will help bolster its ARPUs.
What You Should Do
Switch out to StarHub, our top telco pick for its potential to raise dividends or undertake a one-off capital repayment, especially following its plan to sell bonds. M1 lacks re-rating catalysts and the above developments do not change our view.
M1 – CIMB
Matching SingTel’s 4G prices
M1 does not appear to be trying to claw back market share, judging from the pricing of its new 4G small screen data plans, which closely mirror that of SingTel. M1 priced its 4G plans 5-27% above its 3G plans and 2-3% below SingTel’s.
Not surprisingly, it reduced its data bundles, mirroring SingTel, to better monetise data. The pricier 4G plans and reduced data bundles will help bolster its ARPUs. We maintain Neutral on M1 with a DCF-based target price (WACC 7.6%) and advocate a switch to StarHub, which offers higher dividend yields and potential for capital management.
What Happened
M1 launched new small and large screen data plans and introduced nationwide 4G services. The key takeaways from the unveiling are:
1) M1’s 4G plans are S$10.70/month or 5-27% more expensive than its equivalent 3G plans and 2-3% below similar SingTel plans.
2) M1 reduced voice bundles, threw in more SMS and raised the price of its top-end plan marginally compared to its previous small screen data plans (Figures 1 and 2).
3) Not surprisingly, it divided data bundles from a flat 12GB to tiered amounts of 2GB, 3GB, 5GB and 12GB, mirroring SingTel.
4) M1 also launched 4G large screen data plans.
The key difference between the operators’ plans is recontracting M1 users will be given extra 1GB data on the new small and large screen plans.
What We Think
We view M1’s upward repricing and tiering of data bundles positively but they are unlikely to help the telco claw back market share (Figure 5) as they are very similar to that of SingTel. Throwing in 1GB extra for recontracting users will help it retain customers but, overall, will not appeal to non-M1 customers. SingTel’s offerings are still more attractive as it also offers bundling discounts for pay TV and broadband. That said, the pricier 4G plans and reduced data bundles will help M1 bolster its ARPUs will help bolster its ARPUs.
What You Should Do
Switch out to StarHub, our top telco pick for its potential to raise dividends or undertake a one-off capital repayment, especially following its plan to sell bonds. M1 lacks re-rating catalysts and the above developments do not change our view.
TELCOs – OCBC
2QCY12 REVIEW – OVERWEIGHT
- Mostly stable 2012 outlook
- But margins pressure exist
- Defensive earnings and still-attractive yields
Only StarHub was above
All three telcos recently reported 2QCY12 results, but the only bright spark came from StarHub (even beat our earnings forecast) while both M1 and SingTel turned in quarterly results that were somewhat disappointing. For M1, it attributed the softer showing to accounting treatment for a popular Android phone (where subsidies are expensed upfront), while SingTel cited weaker forex rates (affecting Optus and regional associates) as reason behind for its muted showing.
Review of Singapore mobile operations
For the post-paid mobile market, there was no change to status quo – SingTel continues to dominate with a ~48% share, followed by StarHub with ~28% and M1 ~26%. Overall, the post-paid subscriber base here grew by 58k to 4125k, led by SingTel (+45k). We note that some 70% of new signups now take up smartphones, and data as a percentage of ARPU – currently around 37-42% – could increase further.
Mostly stable 2012 outlook
SingTel and StarHub have guided for a stable outlook ahead, although their EBITDA margin outlook continues to be fairly muted; this probably due to rising content cost for their Pay TV businesses. On the other hand, M1 has not reiterated its “stable performance at both top and bottom-line guidance”, given the continued strong interest in Android phones (also possibly expecting higher subsidies for another new iPhone, which should also affect both SingTel and StarHub). Nation-wide LTE roll-out is also on the cards for all three but it remains at best a 2013 story (largely dependent on availability of LTE handsets).
Maintain OVERWEIGHT
Again, StarHub has continued to do well (+23% YTD), while SingTel (+7%) and M1 (+3%) have continued to lag the STI’s 14% gain. But with markets likely to remain volatile, we believe that the telcos’ defensive earnings and still-attractive yields offer a safe harbour for risk-adverse investors. Maintain OVERWEIGHT on the sector, with M1 still our preferred pick.
TELECOs – DBSV
Three keys – Android, EPL and Fiber
• Singaporeans are no longer obsessed with iPhone, till the launch of iPhone 5 at least. StarHub’s 2Q12F earnings may beat market expectations on the back of it.
• English Premier League bidding may haunt again, StarHub’s annual S$20m savings could disappear.
• HOLD StarHub for 5.9% yield as we raise TP to S$3.50 expecting 21 Scts DPS versus 20 Scts earlier.
• HOLD SingTel for 5% yield. Key concerns are Bharti’s contribution and startup cost for mobile advertising in Singapore.
Increasing popularity of Android phones is good news for the sector. M1 revealed that 70% of its new post-paid customers in 2Q12 had opted for Android phones. Telcos provide lower handset subsidy on Androids versus iPhones due to the cheaper retail price of Androids. This is likely to benefits SingTel and StarHub. In mid-August, we expect StarHub to beat market expectations by 12 % and report 2Q12 earnings of S$95m (23% y-o-y and 8% q-o-q). We like to highlight that the upcoming launch of iPhone5 (rumored to be in September end) could reverse the trend just like how the iPhone 4S did last year.
Two possible scenarios for English Premier League (EPL) rights in September 2012. Neither of the players has an incentive to bid higher for exclusive rights, as consumers can access the content through cross-carriage arrangements anyway. There are two possibilities depending on what is acceptable to the Premier League. (i) Both players place a common joint-bid; (ii) Each player bids on a non-exclusive basis so that cross-carriage does not apply. In either case, each player has to incur some cost of owning the content rights. We estimate that StarHub has benefitted at least S$20m annually due to the absence of cost for EPL rights and these benefits may disappear going forward. We don’t see much impact on SingTel due to the high cost-base of EPL rights.
Higher adoption of fiber broadband. The regulator has increased the weekly porting limit for fiber connections by 30% to 3100 from August 2012 onwards. 200 installations out of the quota will be for commercial buildings, expediting fiber adoption in the corporate space. This will reduce waiting time for fiber connections and benefit retail service providers (RSPs). RSPs have a chance to steal small and medium enterprise (SME) customers from SingTel now.
M1 – DMG
1HFY12 Results Review note
M1 surprised on the downside with 1HFY12 results that missed the street and our estimates, no thanks to the accounting treatment for Android handsets, which clobbered EBITDA margin. Management has maintained its dividend payout ratio of 80% of earnings, which would imply a lower absolute payout for FY12 given the pressure on earnings. We cut our FY12/13 forecasts by 9%-12% post results to err on the conservative and downgrade the stock to NEUTRAL, with a revised DCF FV of SGD2.66. We are also moderating our DPS assumption for FY12 to 14 cents/share.
Below forecasts. M1’s core earnings, when annualized, were 12%-16% below our and consensus estimates. The key disappointment came from an accounting anomaly in the treatment of Android handsets which deviated from the usual fair value accounting it adopts for the iPhone (amortization over the life of the contract). M1 expensed upfront the cost of Android smartphones, which made up 70% of all smartphones sold in 2Q12. This hammered margins even as the subsidies on the models fell, as evident from the decline in subscriber acquisition cost (-12% q-o-q). The telco estimates that 25% of its total base comprises Android handsets versus 50% for the Apple iPhone.
IDD, fixed services revenue down q-o-q. To our surprise, service revenue contracted 0.7% q-o-q (+1% y-o-y), dragged down by weak IDD revenue (-7% q-o-q) and fixed services revenue (-4.2% qo-q). M1 said IDD sales were hit by the lower roaming revenue after Singapore and Malaysia signed a reciprocal agreement to lower roaming tariffs in 2011. Despite booking in another SGD7m in wholesale cost to expand its fiber footprint, its fixed service revenue was still down sequentially as there was a one-off sale of fixed equipment in 1Q12. M1 netted 7k fiber subs in 1Q12 to 37k, which translates into a fiber market share of some 21%-23% based on management’s estimate.
Tiered data plans by September. M1 said it will introduce tiered data plans when its LTE service goes nationwide in 3Q12 but did not provide any details. Both M1 and StarHub have yet to respond to Singtel’s earlier move to lower its data caps.
Dividend payout may be at risk. While M1 kept its dividend payout guidance at 80% of earnings, it would appear that the absolute dividend for FY12 could potentially be lower due to the earnings impact arising from the accounting mismatch. Management was unable to provide guidance on whether this impact would stretch into 2H2012. We cut our FY12 and FY13 core earnings forecasts to SGD156.8m and SGD187.7m respectively from SGD177.4m and SGD206.8m previously to build in mid-term earnings pressure from the upfront expenses relating to Android handsets. Our DPS estimate is cut accordingly, although M1’s dividend yield is still a decent 5%, which should provide some share price support.