Transformation Acceleration Likely to Mitigate VAT Impact
发布时间:2026-03-22 来源:华泰证券
China Unicom(CU)has reported 2025 results,with revenue of RMB392.22bn(+0.68%YoY)and an A-share attributable NP of RMB9,127mn(+1.07%YoY),below our prior forecast of RMB9,602mn,mainly owing to slower growth in traditional businesses.The company plans to distribute afull-year dividend of RMB0.417 per share,implying apayout ratio of 61.3%.We think that CU is transitioning from atraditional telecom operator to ahigh-level integrated information and communications service provider,with continued investment in core areas such as computing power,connectivity,services,and security.Revenue contribution from cloud/IDC/AI businesses continues rising,positioning the company to benefit from AI development in China.Maintain OVERWEIGHT/BUY on its A/H-shares.
Traditional business slowed,more opportunities in connectivity
In traditional businesses,CU has continued integrating broadband and mobile networks.In 2025,the user base recorded anet increase of over 20mn,with bundled service penetration exceeding 78%,and the bundled package ARPU remaining above RMB100,indicating asolid core business foundation.However,the traditional telecom market has gradually approached saturation in recent years,leading to slower growth.To expand market opportunities,CU is actively broadening connectivity scenarios.In 2025,IoT connections exceeded 700mn,the company maintained aleading position in the vehicle networking market,and revenue from 5G private networks increased by over 50%YoY.In addition,CU obtained alicense to operate satellite mobile communication services,enabling the large-scale commercialization of direct satellite connectivity for smartphones.
Profit likely to keep growing;maintain OW/BUY for A/H-shares
We think that the company’s computing and digital smart applications(CDSA)segment is poised to reach anew stage alongside the development of AI applications in China.Considering the impact of VAT adjustments,we forecast the A-share attributable NP of RMB8,506/8,946/9,414mn for 2026/2027/2028(previous:RMB10,124/10,643mn for 2026/2027;revised down by 16/16%).We estimate 2026 BVPS for the A/H-shares at RMB5.86/RMB12.48.Referencing the Bloomberg consensus average PB of 1.52x for global telecom operators,we assign a1.1x 2026E PB to its A-shares(accounting for the earnings impact of VAT adjustments),deriving our target price of RMB6.45(previous:RMB7.56,based on 1.31x 2025E PB).Maintain OVERWEIGHT.For its H-shares,we account for adiscount to the A-shares owing to US Executive Order 13959,valuing it at 0.97x 2026E PB,for our target price of HKD13.76(previous:HKD15.57,based on 1.15x 2025E PB).
Risks:lower ARPU improvement than we expect;greater 5G-related capex than we expect;intensified competition;CU adopting amore conservative dividend policy.