CHINA TELECOM(601728) 民生证券·2025-03-26 14:23Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommended" rating for China Telecom, with a target price of 7.57 CNY [7][4]. Core Insights - In 2024, China Telecom achieved a revenue of 523.6 billion CNY, representing a year-on-year growth of 3.1%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 33.0 billion CNY, up 8.4% year-on-year [1][4]. - The company is experiencing steady growth in its core business, with mobile communication service revenue reaching 202.5 billion CNY, a 3.5% increase year-on-year, and mobile ARPU rising to 45.6 CNY, up 0.4% [2][4]. - The digital industry segment is showing strong growth, with revenue from industrial digitalization reaching 146.6 billion CNY, a 5.5% increase, and Tianyi Cloud revenue growing by 17.1% to 113.9 billion CNY [3][4]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In 2024, operating cash flow was 145.3 billion CNY, up 4.8%, and free cash flow surged by 70.7% to 22.2 billion CNY [1][4]. - The company plans to increase its dividend payout ratio to over 75% in the next three years, with a dividend of 0.2598 CNY per share in 2024 [4]. Business Segments - Mobile communication services saw a net increase of 16.75 million users, bringing the total to 425 million, while fixed-line and smart home services generated 125.7 billion CNY, a 2.1% increase [2][4]. - The company is focusing on enhancing its AI and cloud services, with significant investments in smart computing resources and partnerships [3][4]. Future Projections - The report forecasts continued growth in revenue and profit, with net profit expected to reach 35.9 billion CNY in 2025, reflecting a 9% year-on-year increase [4][6]. - The projected PE ratios for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are 20, 18, and 17, respectively, indicating a stable valuation outlook [4][6].