Seeking Alpha • Jul 14

KT Corporation: Turning Bullish On New AI Investments (Rating Upgrade)

Summary I lift KT Corporation's rating from 'Hold' to 'Buy' after assessing its latest capital expenditure proposal. KT intends to allocate ₩18T to AI-related investments; a major goal is to increase its AI data center capacity to 1.0GW by 2031. KT's existing policy to distribute 50% of its earnings in the form of dividends and buybacks should remain unchanged, as it will explore a variety of funding options for DCs. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Apr 08

With Consistent Misses And Falling Margins, KT Corp. Is No Bargain

Summary KT Corporation's balance sheet remains strong, but the stock's price/book ratio is less appealing, and earnings performance has been disappointing. Despite record revenue, KT's operating income and EBITDA margin have worsened, leading to a high P/E ratio of 26.28. The focus on AI and IT growth is overstated, as these segments remain too small to impact KT's overall performance significantly. Given the economic risks and consistent earnings misses, I recommend a slight sell rating on KT stock, as much better flight-to-safety options exist. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Mar 03

KT Corporation Deserves A Higher Valuation With ROE Expansion Potential

Summary KT Corporation is trading at a -36% discount to book now, which is justified by its lackluster high-single digit Return On Equity. I see KT Corporation's ROE expanding by +2 percentage points in the next 3 years, thanks to lower expenses, higher shareholder distributions, and non-core asset monetization. My rating for the stock is a Buy; I am expecting it to be valued above net asset value in due course when its ROE becomes higher. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Dec 13

KT Corporation: A Company With Too Many New Businesses

Summary KT Corporation faces valuation challenges, struggles to grow in a competitive sector, and a government-regulated South Korean telecommunications market. The company's shift from core telecommunications to diverse new ventures lacks a clear competitive advantage and poses significant risks. KT Corporation's profitability metrics are below sector averages, raising concerns about its financial health and dividend sustainability. Frequent CEO changes and multiple directions undermine confidence in the company's direction and long-term investment potential. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Sep 10

KT Corporation: Transforming Into An AICT Company To Raise Profitability

Summary KT Corporation's transformation into an AICT company and the road to 6G make it a hold into 2025 despite recent earnings hits. The ICT segment, accounting for 69.5% of Q2 2024 revenue, is crucial, and AI integration is necessary for growth and profitability. KT plans to invest 68% of its market cap into AI by 2027, aiming for KRW1 trillion in AI sales within two years. KT's forward P/E ratio of 5.50X and a dividend yield of 6.99% indicate undervaluation, suggesting potential upside into 2025. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Jun 19

KT Corp.: Multiple Positives (Rating Upgrade)

Summary The key positive factors for KT include favorable shareholder capital return expectations, the latest collaboration with Microsoft, and the improvement in the competitive dynamics for its telecommunications business. KT Corporation's valuations are undemanding as evidenced by its low-single digit forward EV/EBITDA multiple. I raise my rating for KT stock from a Hold to a Buy, following an analysis of the stock's valuation metrics and positive re-rating drivers. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Apr 04

KT Corporation: Recent Developments Support A Hold Rating

Summary The favorable developments for KT include an increase in investor interest relating to Korean equities and the proposed IPO of the company's fintech associate, K Bank. On the flip side, I am concerned about KT's capital allocation moves for 2024 and the outlook for its telecommunications business following a review of news flow and management commentary. I retain my Hold rating for the Company after assessing recent developments. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Jan 14

KT Corporation: Valuations Are Reasonable Considering Outlook And ROE

Summary The revenue growth for KT Corporation's telecommunications business is likely to moderate in the future due to a high 5G penetration rate and policy headwinds. The prospects of KT Corporation's non-telecommunications businesses, like its Enterprise DX unit and Cloud subsidiary, are good. KT Corporation's valuations are fair and reflect the mixed outlook for the company as a whole. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Nov 02

KT Corporation: Watch Upcoming Earnings Release And New Capital Return Framework

Summary KT's earnings are expected to decline YoY in Q3 2023 on the back of higher compensation and marketing costs. KT Corporation has guided that it will continue to return half of its normalized net profit to shareholders as dividends or repurchases in the three-year period between 2023 and 2025. My rating for KT is a Hold, after previewing the company's Q3 results and assessing its updated shareholder return policy. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Aug 28

KT Corporation: Consider Both Positives And Negatives

Summary KT's positives are that a new CEO is expected to be formally appointed soon and the company did a good job managing costs in Q2. The key negatives relating to KT are that the company's future earnings and dividends could potentially miss expectations. I have a Neutral view of KT Corporation stock as an investment candidate, considering both positives and negatives relating to the stock. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Jun 15

KT Corp.: Too Early To Turn Bullish

Summary The shortlisting of potential CEO candidates for KT is expected to be completed in July, but there is the risk of a delay due to political pressures. It is also reasonable to be concerned about the potential changes to KT's dividend policy and corporate strategy under the charge of a new CEO. It will be premature to upgrade KT to a Buy, given that it is still uncertain who will be its new CEO, and when he or she can be appointed. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha • Jan 17

KT Corporation: A Bright Future Lies Ahead

Summary Sell-side analysts in general have a positive opinion of KT Corporation based on a review of consensus target prices, financial projections, and investment ratings. KT Corporation's shares can command a higher valuation if the company pays out dividends more frequently and raises its dividend payout ratio. KT is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities relating to digital transformation in South Korea as evidenced by recent metrics. I maintain a Buy rating for KT Corporation, as I think that a bright future lies ahead for KT taking into account these multiple factors. Elevator Pitch My Buy rating for KT Corporation's (KT) [030200:KS] stays unchanged. I wrote about KT's "multiple tailwinds" relating to its telecommunications and non-telecommunications businesses in my prior update for the stock published on November 7, 2022. With this current article, my focus is on the sell-side analysts' expectations for KT, potential changes to its future dividend payouts, and the growth opportunities associated with digital transformation. My research suggests that the sell-side has a positive opinion regarding KT, and the stock has potential catalysts relating to dividend policy changes. More importantly, digital transformation is a key structural growth driver for KT in the mid-to-long term. I retain my Buy rating for KT, as I think that its future is bright after considering the above-mentioned. Analysts Have A Favorable View Of KT Stocks tend to perform well when they are viewed favorably by the market. Therefore, it is critical to assess how the sell-side analysts think about KT Corporation, as this will have a major influence on KT's share price performance in the near term. I consider the sell-side consensus financial forecasts, analyst ratings and price targets in evaluating analyst sentiment for KT Corporation. Note that these metrics are sourced from S&P Capital IQ, and they take into account the foreign sell-side analysts' coverage of KT's Korea-listed shares. Analysts see KT Corporation reversing from a -11.5% contraction in normalized net profit for fiscal 2022 to generate a positive bottom line expansion of +9.8% for FY 2023. Also, the sell-side consensus FY 2023 bottom line estimate for KT has been raised by approximately +8% in the past year. In a nutshell, the market expects KT Corporation's financial performance in the current year to be better than that for 2022. Separately, more analysts are having either Strong Buy or Buy ratings assigned to KT Corporation's stock. At the end of the first quarter of 2022, 12 analysts rated KT as a Strong Buy, while 8 analysts awarded a Buy rating to KT. As of January 16, 2023, there are 14 analysts and 9 analysts who view KT's shares as a Strong Buy and Buy, respectively. Between March 31, 2022, and January 16, 2023, the mean target price for KT Corporation also increased by roughly +15%. Analyst sentiment for KT is pretty favorable judging by the metrics presented in this section. Potential Catalysts Relating To Future Dividends KT Corporation's shares could rise significantly if the company makes positive changes to its dividend payout ratio and dividend payment frequency. I view these potential changes to KT's future dividends as the key catalysts for the stock. KT's current policy is to distribute half of the company's normalized net income as dividends, and there is room for KT Corporation to increase its dividend payout ratio to more than 50% in the future. Notably, KT Corporation emphasized at its most recent Q3 2022 earnings call that it "can actually grow the size of the dividend payout" taking into account "our revenue growth and our cost efficiency efforts." This is one key catalyst for KT. The other key catalyst for KT Corporation is the increase in dividend payment frequency. KT currently distributes dividends to its shareholders once a year. In comparison, KT Corporation's peer, SK Telecom Co., Ltd (SKM) [017670:KS], has a policy of paying out dividends on a quarterly basis. As such, KT Corporation is less attractive than SK Telecom in the eyes of income-focused investors who will prefer a higher frequency of dividend distributions. This might also explain why KT Corporation (3.22 times) trades at a lower consensus forward next twelve months' EV/EBITDA multiple as compared to SK Telecom (3.74 times) as per S&P Capital IQ data. In summary, KT Corporation has the potential to become a more appealing dividend play by improving its dividend payout ratio and increasing its dividend payment frequency. Growth Opportunities Relating To Digital Transformation Research published by research firm AlphaBeta in September 2021 highlighted that "digital transformation can unlock KRW281 trillion worth of annual economic value in South Korea by 2030." This offers an indication of the substantial growth opportunities associated with digital transformation that KT can capitalize on. KT Corporation has disclosed certain metrics in its Q3 2022 results presentation and earnings briefing which suggest that the company is a beneficiary of digital transformation business opportunities.

Seeking Alpha • Nov 07

KT Corporation: Multiple Tailwinds

Summary The prospects of KT Corporation's telecom business are good, considering the potential uplift in wireless ARPUs from an increase in 5G penetration rate and the introduction of value-added services. KT's non-telecom businesses like media & content and cloud & internet data center stand out for their growth potential. In the current market environment, investors have actively rotated from high-growth stocks to high-yield names, and this could be another tailwind for KT. I am of the view that KT Corporation's shares are deserving of a Buy rating taking into account these multiple tailwinds. Elevator Pitch I continue to rate KT Corporation's (KT) [030200:KS] stock as a Buy. In my earlier January 25, 2022 write-up for KT, I focused on "KT Corporation's new partnership" with a bank and the "listing" of one of its investments in the digital banking space. I reiterate my bullish view on KT with this latest article highlighting the multiple tailwinds for the stock. An increase in wireless ARPUs (Average Revenue Per User) driven by a higher 5G penetration is positive for the company's telecommunications business. I also hold the opinion that KT's non-telecommunications businesses like cloud & internet data centers and media & content have substantial room for growth in the future. Separately, KT Corporation's status as a high-yield dividend paying stock should make it an attractive investment candidate in the eyes of many investors. Telecommunications Business Should Benefit From Higher Mobile ARPUs Fitch refers to KT Corporation as a company with "the second-largest market share in the wireless market" in South Korea. As such, KT is one of the key beneficiaries of an increase in Korea's 5G penetration rate and mobile ARPUs. A October 24, 2022 research report published by management consultancy Analysys Mason found that wireless ARPUs for South Korea reversed from a -11.4% drop between Q2 2015 and Q2 2019 to a positive +9.9% growth for the Q2 2019-Q2 2022 time period. In its report, Analysys Mason attributed the increase in Korea's wireless ARPUs to "the migration of a large share of customers to 5G plans." At the company's investor call in August 2022, KT Corporation revealed that it has a target of increasing its share of 5G subscribers (as a proportion of its total mobile or wireless subscriber base) from 54% as of the end of the first half of the year to 60% by end-2022. Apart from growing its percentage of its subscribers signed up on 5G plans, KT also stressed at its August 2022 investor call that new "value-added services" will be another key driver of the company's future mobile ARPU growth. Non-Telecom Businesses To Watch There are two non-telecom businesses that investors with an interest in KT should watch closely. Specifically, they are the media & content and cloud & IDC (Internet Data Center) businesses. KT Corporation disclosed at its investor briefing in August this year that the company has spun off its cloud & IDC business "as a separate special entity." The company had made this decision, because it views the cloud & IDC business "as a solid growth pillar", and it has plans in place to "build additional IDC capacity" to capitalize on such growth opportunities. It is noteworthy that KT is the largest operator of IDCs in the country. KT Corporation operates 14 IDCs in Korea, while its rivals LG U+ and SK Broadband run 11 and 5 IDCs, respectively. As the market leader in Korea's IDC market, KT is in a good position to benefit from the strong growth of the industry in the future. As a reference, market research firm Arizton predicts that the value of the Korean data center will expand from $3.9 billion in 2021 to $5.8 billion in 2027. Separately, there is excitement about KT Corporation's media & content business. Studio Genie, KT's media production business, had a big hit with its drama, "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." According to an August 17, 2022 news article published in The Korea Herald, Extraordinary Attorney Woo "topped Netflix's (NFLX) latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows for the third consecutive week" in mid-August. KT Corporation revealed at its August 2022 investor call that the "brand awareness of the ENA channel improved" thanks to "the popular hit from our original content." In other words, KT has benefited from the synergies between its media production business (Studio Genie) and pay television business (ENA Channel).

Seeking Alpha • Aug 26

KT Corporation: Perhaps Not So Boring Anymore

Summary We believe that ARPU trend reversal and subsidiaries going public are catalysts likely to move the stock. KT is a cheap stock, likely due to the lack of exciting growth story. But things may soon change, thus providing an opportunity for investors. However, the lack of killer apps prevents users from seeing the full extent of 5G capabilities. Moreover, competition may intensify in high-growth businesses, such as the data center market. Investment Thesis 5G reversing the declining ARPU trend and high growth subsidiaries going public might drive KT's stock price. In addition, KT's cheap valuation might present an opportunity at the current price. Getting to Know the Company Established in 1981, KT Corporation (KT) was once known as Korea Telecom Corp, a wholly government-owned telecommunications company. However, by 2002, the Korean government no longer owned the shares, and later the company changed its legal name to KT Corporation. Ownership Structure (Company) Amid a prolonged period of stagnated growth, telcos, including KT, look beyond a traditional business model to drive their growth trajectory. For instance, KT plans to accelerate its transformation from a telco into the so-called digico (digital platform company) by developing high-growth businesses, such as cloud/IDC and AI Contact Center ((AICC)). As a result, the company aims to double its digital-related service revenue to $10 billion by 2025. KT's Growth Strategies (Company) You can see in Figure 3 how KT reclassified its reporting structure to better reflect its growth strategies. New Reporting Structure (Company) Moreover, KT owns a wide range of subsidiaries, including a credit card business (BC Card), a satellite broadcasting provider (SkyLife), and a real estate company (KT Estate). What Moved the Stock? KT's stock price was moving as if it was not going anywhere. It was trading at around $20-ish in 2011 before bottoming to below $7 in March 2020. Since then, the stock has picked up and is trading at $14 per share. We compared the stock price with the quarterly service revenue change and found that tepid service revenue growth hampered its stock price. Stock Price vs. Service Revenue Growth (Vektor Research, Yahoo Finance) Although 4G technology rose in popularity in the early 2010s, ARPU has steadily declined because the OTT services overshadowed more expensive services, such as voice calls. Moreover, competition from MVNOs puts pressure on ARPU. Worse, telephony no longer serves as a primary communication medium, declining 9% annually from 2011-2021. And the stock price reflects the trend. Wireless and Telephony Growth (Vektor Research) Moreover, our common-size analysis of KT's income statement suggests that increasing labor and G&A expenses put pressure on operating margins. In our view, tepid growth and operating margin erosion had made investors stay away from the stock. Common-size Income Statement (Vektor Research) But now the share price has picked up. Is KT a BUY? We believe that there are three key points important for consideration. 1. 5G Underpinning ARPU Recovery As we mentioned earlier, ARPU was in a declining trend. But we notice that it started to pick up in recent quarters thanks to users moving to 5G premium plans. In our recent article titled "SK Telecom: Looking Beyond the Traditional Business Model," we wrote that about a third of wireless subscribers were 5G users in Korea, thanks to aggressive rollout by operators. Please read our article for more analysis on the wireless industry in Korea). Such efforts started to bear fruit as more users adopted 5G, and operators began to reduce their marketing expenses. ARPU Started to Pick Up (Companies) And now, the idea is to offer more differentiated 5G plans to consumers to increase adoption further. For example, SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM), or SKT, offers 5G plans ranging from KRW40,000 to KRW90,000 to "cater to more customers' needs." When asked about the possibility of a 5G mid-range pricing scheme, CFO Young Jin Kim said that KT is also preparing for such a scheme to "provide more choice, more expanded choice to the customers." While 5G subscribers will likely downgrade to more affordable plans, such a strategy will further ramp up 5G adoption. SKT's CFO Jin-won Kim also acknowledged that customers could downgrade to lower plans as more price plans are available, but added that the more critical part is accelerating 5G migration. In the near term, we believe that the 5G mid-range pricing scheme might slow ARPU recovery in exchange for more 5G adoption. But long-term, ARPU should improve, as the appetite to move to premium plans is already there, in our view. For example, KT recorded positive wireless ARPU yearly growth for six consecutive quarters, and SKT followed behind with five quarters (see Figure 7). Nevertheless, the full extent of 5G capabilities remains unseen thanks to the lack of killer apps. For example, when 4G came around, YouTube and Instagram were gaining popularity, and leveraging 4G plans to access those apps makes sense. Thus, we believe that once those killer apps are widely available, consumers will be willing to pay more. 2. Unlocking Subsidiaries' Value Through IPO During the 2Q22 earnings call, the CFO believes that B2B business is a "very critical growth driver for the company." He went on to mention three growth strategies through B2B: The first one is expanding into a new business area by adding digital on top of our telco capabilities. Second is to gain an upper hand and dominance in the DX market, DXI, the different businesses and companies by really tapping into the digital segment where we could actually leverage the potential that we have with the strong underpinning of our telco capabilities. And third is providing a customized DX model by providing a differentiated offering for each of the customer segments. Digitalization remains the core theme of KT's growth strategy. For example, in the last three years, Digico B2B and B2C businesses drove KT's service revenue (see Figure 8). 3-year Revenue Breakdown (Company) To cater to surging data demand, KT builds data centers, operating 14 IDC in Korea. Although the Cloud/IDC business only contributed about 3% to KT's service revenue in 2021, it drove revenue growth (see Figure 9). KT Cloud aims to grow its revenue from KRW460 billion to KRW2 trillion by 2026, implying a 34% annual growth. But investors should not immediately take it at face value, as KT's data center business is growing only ~13% per year. IDC/Cloud Contribution to Service Revenue Growth (Vektor Research) Revenue from IDC/Cloud Business (KRW Billion) (Companies) Earlier this year, KT decided to spin off the IDC/Cloud business into KT Cloud, hoping for it to be "more competitive in the cloud and data centers market." And further expansion is underway. For instance, KT Cloud is building a 26 MW hyper-scale data center in Seoul, aiming to develop additional 100 MW data centers by 2025. As cited in the Korea Economic Daily, AWS took over half the cloud market share in South Korea, followed by KT Cloud with 20%. And selling a minority stake to a strategic partner or going public is on the cards. Unlocking subsidiaries' value through IPO seems to be KT's plan. Another example is KT's efforts to push its digital banking unit, K Bank, to go public this year, possibly raising $10 billion. SK Group also seeks to execute a similar strategy by listing SKT's cybersecurity spin-off, SK Shieldus ($2.79 billion), and mobile app store One Store ($149.9 million). By contrast, the IPO was cancelled due to "weak investor interest." We like KT's strategy because it allows the high-growth subsidiaries to become more independent, and more money from IPO will help them expand their businesses. 3. Cheap Valuation KT's forward EV/EBITDA and P/E stand at only 3x and 6.6x, respectively, obviously a bargain compared with its peers. Indeed, stocks are cheap for a reason. But as mentioned before, 5G reversing the ARPU trend and subsidiaries going public might drive the stock. Multiple Valuation (Seeking Alpha) Figure 10 shows that the market was paying more than $20 per share with the same EPS as now. But the difference is that KT only trades at ~$14 per share. Thus, at the current price, KT might present an opportunity. KT data by YCharts But one may ask why these catalysts have not yet been fully priced into the stock. In our view, compared with its significant investment, 5G only slightly drove telcos' revenue, and only recently, ARPU finally went up. While the ARPU trend reversal is a good sign, we believe that consumers will realize the full extent of 5G capabilities once killer apps are available. But as we wrote in the "What Could Go Wrong?" section below, the question of when those apps will be available remains. Second, KT's plan to unlock its subsidiaries through IPO has not yet materialized. And it remains to be seen whether those businesses can maintain their growth trajectory after IPO. Financial Analysis KT and SKT have comparable revenue growth at 4%. However, please note that SKT's figure in 2020 was before the horizontal spin-off, resulting in negative growth in 2021. In 2Q22, KT slightly edged its competitor with 4.7% (Y/Y), higher than its 10-year historical revenue growth of 1.6% per year.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 16

KT Corporation: Hedge Inflation With This Korean Telecom

KT Corporation provides stability in an uncertain macroeconomic environment. Stable cash flow and dividend will serve as great inflation hedges. New initiatives in B2B can provide long-term tailwinds. KT Corporation is undervalued by the market based on the Gordon Growth Model. KT Corporation (KT) is a South Korean telecommunications giant that we believe presents a wonderful inflation hedge and a dividend growth opportunity. KT can provide stable cash flow growth while waiting to see if its new business expansion plans in B2B can provide further growth in the long term. Company Overview KT has operations globally and provides numerous services and products related to the wireless communications industry. They have businesses in ICT Business, Data Services, Global Operation, Voice Traffic Wholesale Services, Consulting, and other services. Year-to-date, KT has outperformed the S&P 500 by a sizable margin, and is positive for the year. KT Year to Date Total Returns (Daily) data by YCharts Stable Revenue and Dividend In the past 10 years, KT's top line numbers have been extremely stable, ranging between $19 billion to $22 billion. Despite considerable competition in the domestic markets, KT has been able to generate consistent revenue and maintain its industry leading market position despite the uncertainty. Given this consistent revenue performance, KT has been a reliable source of dividend income for many investors. In the past 3 years, KT has generated a 20% CAGR (10% CAGR in the past 5 years) in dividend growth for investors. And based on its current price, the trailing dividend yield for the company now stands at a whopping 5.3%. That is extremely high for a company that is growing its revenue and has numerous business tailwinds. As will be discussed in the rest of the article, KT has numerous business opportunities to continue growing its revenue, grow its dividend for long-term investors, and therefore provide great inflation hedges for investors. KT Revenue (Annual) data by YCharts B2B Business Opportunities KT has invested heavily in 5G and has been an industry leader in the spread of 5G, and provided widespread unlimited 5G services to Korea in 2019, which is far quicker than many other developed nations. Given this early mover advantage, KT has been able to roll out numerous services and product offerings centered around 5G. 5G is still in its early stages of development and application, and KT has positioned itself well to take advantage of this secular industry change. Already, many of KT's new services, outside of its core telecom business, involve providing consulting and digital transformation services to other businesses. KT has reported a 45% YoY growth in its B2B business, and management has shown continued interest in this department: For the B2B business, underpinned by our strength in public, defense, and financial sector, we delivered customized services for customers across different sectors, growing the number of orders booked... Cloud and IDC business is now established as a separate special entity, setting itself up as a solid growth pillar. We are at the forefront of the market, pre-emptively responding to demand as we equip ourselves with managed services capabilities for the cloud business and build additional IDC capacity. Furthermore, KT has recently reported that it expects its B2B business to make up 50% of its revenue by 2025. This side of the business has seen "accelerating" growth, and we believe that this new business segment will become the main driver of KT's shareholder value appreciation for the long term. Valuation Though there are numerous methods of valuation, we believe that the Gordon Growth Model would be the best fundamental, conservative valuation model for this high dividend paying South Korean business. We used its historic five-year dividend CAGR of ~10% as the baseline growth assumptions, and used a required rate of return of 14% (based on ROE of Business & Consumer Services as proxy for Required Rate of Return).

Seeking Alpha • Aug 10

KT Corporation reports Q2 results

KT Corporation press release (NYSE:KT): Q2 Net income KRW363.4B Revenue of KRW6.31T (+4.8% Y/Y).

Seeking Alpha • Jun 10

KT Corp: Success In Diversifying Revenues, And Pays Dividends, Too

KT Corporation is a South Korean telco that has seen success in diversifying revenues away from voice and text. This diversification is evident in its better revenues compared to European and North American peers and the growth in its Digital Platform called DIGICO. It faces competition in its home market, but its 5G penetration reaching 50% shows that it is strong in mobile services. There are inflation-led headwinds that should impact profitability in the second quarter and the rest of 2022. Still, with its ability to sustain operating margins since 2017, and given the fact that it is undervalued and pays dividends too, the company is a buy.

Seeking Alpha • Mar 28

Why You Should Diversify Your AT&T And Verizon Positions With KT Corporation

The telecommunications sector is attractive to investors due to its stable cashflows, low multiples, and high dividend yields. However, it has produced lackluster returns for the past 10 years. AT&T and Verizon both offer attractive investment propositions at their current valuations. Nonetheless, diversifying our exposure to the sector by investing in other countries can enhance our returns and diminish our exposure to US-specific risks. KT Corporation is one of the three leading telecom companies in South Korea and is positioned to outperform both AT&T and Verizon in the next few years. KT is also one of the cheapest telecom firms in the world, with an EV/EBITDA of 2.31x and a FCF yield of 18.60% at the current price of $14.23.

Seeking Alpha • Jan 26

KT Corp.: New Partnership And Potential Listing Draw Attention

KT Corporation is acquiring an equity interest in Shinhan Financial, and will be partnering with its banking arm Shinhan Bank on a number of new projects. The value of KT Corporation's investment in digital bank, K Bank, could possibly be unlocked with an potential IPO this year. I still have a Buy rating for KT Corporation, in view of its undemanding valuations and potential catalysts.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 23

KT Corporation: Positive On Q2 Results And Dividend Policy Commitment

KT Corporation's Q2 2021 operating income and net profit exceeded market expectations, as both the company's wireless and non-wireless businesses did well in the most recent quarter. The stock offers consensus forward FY 2021 and FY 2022 dividend yields of 5.1% and 5.4%, respectively, and the company reiterated its commitment to a 50% dividend payout policy. KT Corporation trades at a trailing P/B multiple of 0.48 times and a consensus forward FY 2022 normalized P/E multiple of 8.3 times.

Sneeuwvlok Score
Waardering	5/6
Toekomstige groei	0/6
Prestaties in het verleden	5/6
Financiële gezondheid	5/6
Dividenden	6/6

Historische aandelenkoersen
Huidige aandelenkoers	₩18.53
52 Week Hoogtepunt	₩24.58
52 Week Laag	₩17.13
Bèta	0.085
1 maand verandering	6.62%
3 maanden verandering	-5.99%
1 Jaar Verandering	-8.58%
3 jaar verandering	52.01%
5 jaar verandering	28.95%
Verandering sinds IPO	-38.87%

	KT	US Telecom	US Markt
7D	1.9%	5.5%	0.09%
1Y	-8.6%	-1.8%	19.0%

KT volatility
KT Average Weekly Movement	3.6%
Telecom Industry Average Movement	9.6%
Market Average Movement	7.2%
10% most volatile stocks in US Market	16.3%
10% least volatile stocks in US Market	3.1%

KT fundamentele statistieken
Marktkapitalisatie	US$8.96b
Inkomsten(TTM)	US$1.09b
Inkomsten(TTM)	US$19.87b

KT resultatenrekening (TTM)
Inkomsten	₩28.18t
Kosten van inkomsten	₩0
Brutowinst	₩28.18t
Overige uitgaven	₩26.64t
Inkomsten	₩1.54t

Winst per aandeel (EPS)	6.40k
Brutomarge	100.00%
Nettowinstmarge	5.47%
Schuld/Eigen Vermogen Verhouding	56.3%

Gegevens	Laatst bijgewerkt (UTC-tijd)
Bedrijfsanalyse	2026/08/12 00:00
Aandelenkoers aan het einde van de dag	2026/08/12 00:00
Inkomsten	2026/03/31
Jaarlijkse inkomsten	2025/12/31

Pakket	Gegevens	Tijdframe	Voorbeeld Amerikaanse bron ^*
Financiële gegevens bedrijf	10 jaar	Resultatenrekening Kasstroomoverzicht Balans	SEC-formulier 10-K SEC-formulier 10-Q
Consensus schattingen analisten	+3 jaar	Financiële prognoses Koersdoelen analisten	Onderzoeksrapporten van analisten Blue Matrix
Marktprijzen	30 jaar	Aandelenprijzen Dividenden, splitsingen en acties	ICE Marktgegevens SEC-formulier S-1
Eigendom	10 jaar	Top aandeelhouders Handel met voorkennis	SEC-formulier 4 SEC-formulier 13D
Beheer	10 jaar	Leiderschapsteam Raad van bestuur	SEC-formulier 10-K SEC-formulier DEF 14A
Belangrijkste ontwikkelingen	10 jaar	Bedrijfsaankondigingen	SEC-formulier 8-K

Analist	Instelling
Seyon Park	Barclays
Sun Jung Lee	BofA Global Research
Joshua Kim	CGS International

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Recent nieuws en updates

KT Corporation to Report Q2, 2026 Results on Aug 12, 2026

KT Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend for Its Common Stockholders, Payable on August 13, 2026

KT Corporation: Turning Bullish On New AI Investments (Rating Upgrade)

KT Corporation, Annual General Meeting, Mar 31, 2026

KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200) announces an Equity Buyback for KRW 250,000 million worth of its shares.

KT Corporation to Report Q4, 2025 Results on Feb 10, 2026

Recent updates

KT Corporation to Report Q2, 2026 Results on Aug 12, 2026

KT Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend for Its Common Stockholders, Payable on August 13, 2026

KT Corporation: Turning Bullish On New AI Investments (Rating Upgrade)

KT Corporation, Annual General Meeting, Mar 31, 2026

KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200) announces an Equity Buyback for KRW 250,000 million worth of its shares.

KT Corporation to Report Q4, 2025 Results on Feb 10, 2026

KT Corporation Approves Quarterly Cash Dividend, Payable on November 20, 2025

SH Healthcare Investment No. 1 Fund and others completed the acquisition of 6.80% stake in NGeneBio Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A354200) from KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200).

With Consistent Misses And Falling Margins, KT Corp. Is No Bargain

Soop Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A067160) completed the acquisition of 70.38% stake in PlayD Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A237820) from KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200) and Nasmedia Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A089600).

KT Corporation, Annual General Meeting, Mar 31, 2025

KT Corporation Deserves A Higher Valuation With ROE Expansion Potential

KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200) announces an Equity Buyback for KRW 250,000 million worth of its shares.

KT Corporation: A Company With Too Many New Businesses

KT Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Stock, Payable on October 31, 2024

KT Corporation: Transforming Into An AICT Company To Raise Profitability

KT Corporation to Report Q2, 2024 Results on Aug 09, 2024

KT Corp.: Multiple Positives (Rating Upgrade)

KT Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Stock, Payable on May 13, 2024

KT Corporation: Recent Developments Support A Hold Rating

KT Corporation, Annual General Meeting, Mar 28, 2024

KT Corporation Provides Revenue Guidance for the Fiscal Year 2024

KT Corporation to Report Q4, 2023 Results on Feb 08, 2024

KT Corporation: Valuations Are Reasonable Considering Outlook And ROE

KT Corporation: Watch Upcoming Earnings Release And New Capital Return Framework

Kt Corporation Announces Change in Representative Director

KT Corporation: Consider Both Positives And Negatives

LS Cable & System Ltd. completed the acquisition of 25.58% stake in KT Submarine Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A060370).

KT Corporation to Report Q2, 2023 Results on Aug 07, 2023

KT Corp.: Too Early To Turn Bullish

KT Corporation (KOSE:A030200) announces an Equity Buyback for KRW 300,000 million worth of its shares.

KT Corporation: A Bright Future Lies Ahead

KT Corporation: Multiple Tailwinds

KT Corporation: Perhaps Not So Boring Anymore

KT Corporation: Hedge Inflation With This Korean Telecom

KT Corporation reports Q2 results

KT Corp: Success In Diversifying Revenues, And Pays Dividends, Too

Why You Should Diversify Your AT&T And Verizon Positions With KT Corporation

KT Corp.: New Partnership And Potential Listing Draw Attention

KT Corporation: Positive On Q2 Results And Dividend Policy Commitment

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