A Telecom Leader with Resilient Operating Results in 1Q26
发布时间:2026-04-22 来源:华泰证券
China Mobile(CM)has reported 1Q26 revenue of RMB266.5bn(+1.0%YoY)and an attributable NP of RMB29.3bn(-4.2%YoY),above our previous forecast(RMB28.5bn),mainly due to the impact of VAT adjustments.According to MIIT,China's telecom service revenue totaled RMB290.4bn in 2M26(-1.7%YoY),while CM's core service revenue declined 1.1%YoY to RMB219.9bn in 1Q26,outperforming the industry average and demonstrating operational resilience as aleader.In the digital intelligence era,CM is embracing broader‘AI+’opportunities,with network,cloud,and device segments poised to benefit.In the long term,we like CM’s competitiveness as aglobal leading telecom operator.Maintain BUY.
Robust dev across telecommunication/computing/intelligence
In 1Q26,the company's core service revenue declined slightly by 1.1%YoY to RMB219.9bn,while other business revenue grew 12.7%YoY to RMB46.6bn,with the three main businesses of communication services,computing power services,and smart services maintaining robust development.Specifically,as of end-1Q26,the company's mobile subscriber base saw anet increase of 3.76mn from end-2025 to 1.009bn,broadband subscribers rose by anet of 3.90mn to 333mn,and IoT SIM connections grew by anet of 22.33mn to 1,504mn.While the company's core business remains solid,the demand for IoT in the AI era is bringing new growth opportunities to connectivity services.Overall,we note that domestic AI applications and models are in aperiod of rapid development.As anational leader in computing power infrastructure construction,the company's data center and cloud computing businesses may in our view benefit from this wave of AI industry growth and become new revenue drivers.
GPM edged down;cost control initiatives advancing
In terms of profitability,the company's 1Q26 gross margin was 25.35%,down 1.57pp YoY,mainly due to the impact of VAT adjustments.Overall,CM maintains impressive cost control capabilities,with 1Q26 network operation and support costs declining 0.87%YoY to RMB75.17bn and depreciation&amortization expenses down 0.49%YoY to RMB47.69bn,reflecting improved operational efficiency.Employee compensation and related costs rose 1.12%YoY to RMB37.57bn,primarily due to the company's intensified focus on AI development,leading to increased recruitment and incentives for R&D personnel.Overall,we remain positive on CM's long-term profitability and edge as aglobal leading telecom operator,and as its tech transformation advances,the short-term impact of the VAT adjustment should gradually diminish,in our view.
Bullish on LT development potential;maintain BUY
We remain positive on the company's growth potential and maintain our earnings forecasts,projecting its 2026-2028 attributable NP at RMB130.2/134.2/138.4bn,with BVPS at RMB67.22/68.84/70.53.Given the company's strong profitability and long-term growth potential in the digital intelligence era,we maintain our A-share target price at RMB114.3,based on 1.7x 2026E PB(global peer average on BBG:1.45x).Based on the stock's one-month average A-/H-share premium of 33.59%,we value the H-share at 1.29x 2026E PB,resulting in atarget price of HKD97.5(previous:HKD94.4,based on 37.59%A-/H-share premium).Maintain BUY on both.
Risks:1)weaker ARPU improvements than we expect;2)higher 5G capex than we expect;3)intensifying competition;and 4)a conservative dividend policy.