CHINA TELECOM(601728) 华泰证券·2024-10-24 08:08Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the company with a target price of HKD 5.80 for H-shares and RMB 7.94 for A-shares [4][8]. Core Insights - The company reported Q3 2024 results that met expectations, with a revenue of RMB 391.97 billion for the first three quarters, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%, and a net profit of RMB 29.3 billion, up 8.1% year-on-year [1]. - The company is recognized for its growing competitiveness in the intelligent computing sector, particularly through its Tianyi Cloud services, which are expected to drive future growth [1][2]. - The average revenue per user (ARPU) remains stable, with mobile ARPU at RMB 45.6 and broadband ARPU at RMB 47.8 [1]. Revenue and Profitability - For the first three quarters of 2024, mobile communication service revenue increased by 3.2% to RMB 156.82 billion, with a net addition of 14.9 million mobile users, bringing the total to 423 million [1]. - The company's return on equity (ROE) improved by 0.32 percentage points to 6.48%, and the net profit margin increased by 0.37 percentage points to 7.49% [1]. - The company has increased its R&D expenditure by 19.3% to RMB 8.75 billion, indicating a commitment to innovation and future growth [1]. Future Projections - The report forecasts the company's revenue for 2024-2026 to be RMB 526.746 billion, RMB 544.924 billion, and RMB 561.848 billion, respectively, with net profits projected at RMB 32.627 billion, RMB 34.844 billion, and RMB 37.032 billion [2][7]. - The estimated book value per share (BPS) for 2024-2026 is projected to be RMB 4.96, RMB 5.09, and RMB 5.22 [2]. Valuation Methodology - The report applies a price-to-book (PB) ratio of 1.6 times for A-shares and 1.07 times for H-shares based on the company's competitive position in the intelligent computing sector, with target prices set accordingly [8].