智通财经网·2026-02-03 08:30Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley reports that the three major telecom operators in mainland China have announced an increase in value-added tax from 6% to 9% on mobile data, SMS/MMS, and internet broadband services, which will impact their net profits in 2026 [1] Group 1: Impact on Telecom Operators - The expected impact on net profits for China Mobile (00941), China Telecom (00728), and China Unicom (00762) is projected to be 7.1%, 12.6%, and 11.9% respectively [1] - China Mobile is anticipated to experience the smallest impact among the three operators due to its higher gross margins [1] Group 2: Mitigation Strategies - The actual profit impact may be milder than estimated as the telecom operators are undergoing state-owned enterprise reforms, with financial KPIs set by authorities including profit growth, return on equity improvement, and healthy cash flow [1] - Telecom operators are expected to offset the impact of the VAT adjustment through various measures such as optimizing operating expenses, increasing prices, and controlling capital expenditures [1]