Core Viewpoint - Shares of Singapore Telecommunications fell over 2% following a technical failure at its subsidiary Optus, which disrupted emergency call services for 13 hours and has been linked to four fatalities [1] Company Impact - The technical failure at Optus, Australia's second-largest telecom carrier, has raised significant concerns regarding service reliability and safety [1] - The incident has led to a direct impact on the stock performance of Singapore Telecommunications, indicating potential investor apprehension [1] Industry Context - The disruption of emergency services highlights vulnerabilities within the telecommunications sector, particularly in crisis management and operational resilience [1] - The incident may prompt regulatory scrutiny and calls for improved infrastructure and service protocols within the telecom industry [1]

During the week, the BSE benchmark advanced 721.53 points or 0.88 per cent, PTI reported.Among the winners were Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, Infosys and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance and Hindustan Unilever, however, ended in the red.The market valuation of State Bank of India soared Rs 35,953.25 crore to Rs 7,95,910 crore, while Bharti Airtel added Rs 33,214.77 crore taking its mcap to Rs 11,18,952 ...

Group 1 - AT&T Inc. is positioned as one of the top communication services stocks to consider for investment, with plans to enhance its 5G and fiber networks to become the leading telecommunications provider in the U.S. by the end of the decade [1] - The acquisition of mid-band spectrum from EchoStar/DISH is crucial for AT&T's expansion, ensuring stability for future capacity needs and targeting specific customer segments with wireless-only solutions in areas lacking fiber infrastructure [2] - AT&T offers a diverse range of wireless communication services and data solutions to various customer groups, including corporations, government entities, wholesale customers, and individual consumers [3]

Core Insights - The combined market valuation of seven of the top-10 most valued firms increased by Rs 1,18,328.29 crore last week, indicating a positive trend in the equity market [1] Group 1: Market Performance - State Bank of India and Bharti Airtel were identified as the biggest gainers in the market during the last week [1]

Group 1 - Verizon Communications Inc. is recognized for its steady business model and attractive dividend yield, making it a strong candidate for dividend stock portfolios [2][4] - In Q2, Verizon added 300,000 net mobile and broadband subscribers, with revenue increasing by 5.2% year over year to $34.5 billion, and earnings per share rising from $1.09 to $1.18 [3] - The company declared a 1.8% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.69 per share, marking its 19th consecutive year of dividend growth, with a current dividend yield of 6.31% as of September 18 [4] Group 2 - Verizon sold its portfolio of over 6,300 wireless towers for $3.3 billion to Vertical Bridge, while retaining its role as the anchor tenant on those sites [3]

Group 1 - Nadir Mohamed, former CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., passed away at the age of 69, leaving a legacy as an exceptional leader during a transformative period for the company and the telecommunications industry [1] - Under Mohamed's leadership, Rogers became Canada's largest wireless provider and made significant investments in sports, including acquiring a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. in partnership with BCE Inc. [2] - Before retiring, Rogers secured a 12-year national broadcast rights deal with the NHL, which was recognized as the largest in the league's history [3] Group 2 - After leaving Rogers, Mohamed focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, co-founding ScaleUp Ventures to fund startup technology companies in Canada and serving on various corporate boards [4] - Mohamed was born in Tanzania and was a notable figure in Canada's Ismaili Muslim community, holding a commerce degree and a chartered accountant designation [5] - He received multiple accolades for his business contributions and philanthropy, including recognition from the UN Association in Canada and an appointment to the Order of Canada in 2019 [5]

Core Insights - The article discusses two stocks, AT&T and Alphabet, that may be appealing to budget-conscious investors due to their valuation and business models AT&T - AT&T's stock price is under $30, making it accessible for most investors [3] - The company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is around 17x, significantly lower than the S&P 500's P/E ratio of about 30x and much lower than tech stocks like Spotify, which has a P/E ratio of 164x [4] - AT&T has refocused its business on wireless and fiber services, divesting media assets and reducing its debt, which stands at over $141 billion [5] - The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.2775, translating to an annual dividend of $1.11 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.75% [6] Alphabet - Alphabet's stock price is around $249, but fractional share trading allows investors to buy into the company without needing to purchase whole shares [7] - The company has a diverse business model, with Google Search generating over $200 billion in annual revenue and experiencing a 12% year-over-year growth [9] - Alphabet's Google Cloud segment generated $13.6 billion in revenue last quarter, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 32% [10] - The company also earned over $17 billion in quarterly ad revenue from YouTube and its Google network [10] - The combination of Alphabet's strong business segments and growth potential makes it a compelling option for budget-conscious investors [11]

Core Insights - Mavenir has won the prestigious "Customer Experience" award at the FutureNet Asia Awards 2025 for its AI-driven fraud and security suite, which enhances mobile user experience in the Asia-Pacific region [1][4][5] Group 1: Award Recognition - Mavenir's AI-driven fraud and security suite was recognized for its customer-centric innovation and measurable performance, contributing to enhanced trust between operators and users [3][5] - The FutureNet Asia Awards aim to honor excellence in automation and AI innovations within the telecommunications industry, with the winners announced during the FutureNet Asia conference held in Singapore [4] Group 2: Impact on Communication Service Providers (CSPs) - The integrated fraud and security suite provides proactive, AI-driven protection for CSPs, significantly reducing spam and fraud messages [2][3] - Globe Telecom in the Philippines reported a 67% reduction in intercepted spam and fraud messages, decreasing from 1.1 billion in Q1 2023 to 362.8 million in Q1 2024, with bank-related spam messages down 74% and customer-reported fraud messages down 44% [2] - TPG Telecom in Australia successfully intercepted nearly 19 million fraudulent voice calls in the first half of 2024, achieving a 280% increase in fraud interception compared to the same period in 2023 [2] Group 3: Technological Advancements - Mavenir's SpamShield and CallShield utilize advanced AI and machine learning technologies to provide comprehensive protection against various types of message fraud, achieving up to 90% interception of spam and fraudulent messages [3][5] - CallShield employs three specialized machine learning models and real-time behavioral analysis to achieve near-zero false positive rates, ensuring accurate protection without compromising user experience [3] Group 4: Cost Efficiency - The integrated fraud prevention suite enhances customer loyalty, reduces complaint volumes, and significantly improves cost efficiency, with reports indicating that a tier-one operator saves over $500,000 monthly in interconnect fees [4][5] Group 5: Company Overview - Mavenir is focused on building the future of networks through cloud-native and AI solutions, facilitating the automation and monetization of mobile networks for over 300 CSPs across more than 120 countries, serving over 50% of global users [7]

Core Insights - The current investment landscape presents opportunities for growth investors despite market volatility, facilitated by modern brokerages that provide access to a wide range of global stocks [1] Group 1: Strategic Reviews and Resets - Companies undergoing strategic reviews can reposition themselves for sustainable growth by focusing on high-potential areas and exiting unprofitable segments [3] - Hongkong Land Holdings announced a strategic review in October, planning to exit the build-to-sell property segment and focus on integrated commercial developments to generate steady income [4] - Singtel has been executing a strategic reset since May 2021, aiming to capitalize on 5G opportunities and improve return on invested capital (ROIC), targeting low double-digit ROIC by fiscal 2026 [5][6] Group 2: Sustainable Trends and Catalysts - Identifying sustainable trends, such as the rise of athleisure, can uncover promising growth stocks, exemplified by Lululemon's revenue growth from US$8.1 billion in fiscal 2023 to US$10.6 billion in fiscal 2025 [9][10] - Mercadolibre's revenue surged from US$10.8 billion in 2022 to US$20.8 billion in 2024, driven by the e-commerce market's projected 19% CAGR from 2022 to 2027 [11] - Coupang's revenue increased from US$20.6 billion in 2022 to US$30.3 billion in 2024, achieving profitability in 2023 with US$1.4 billion in net income [12] Group 3: Large Total Addressable Market (TAM) - Companies with a large TAM, such as ResMed, which aims to serve 500 million people by 2030, present significant long-term growth potential [13][14] - Dexcom targets a growing market for continuous glucose monitoring, with only 5% penetration among Type 2 diabetics not on insulin, indicating substantial room for expansion [15] Group 4: Successful Serial Acquirers - Companies like Hawkins have successfully executed multiple acquisitions, resulting in revenue growth from approximately US$935 million in fiscal 2023 to over US$974 million in fiscal 2025 [18] - Rollins, a pest control company, added 24 businesses through acquisitions in 2023 and 32 in 2024, leading to revenue growth from US$2.7 billion in 2022 to US$3.4 billion in 2024 [19][20]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights three dividend-paying stocks that have historically provided strong income and are expected to continue doing so, making them attractive for investors seeking reliable dividend income. Group 1: Coca-Cola - Coca-Cola has increased its dividend for the 63rd consecutive year, showcasing its status as a top dividend growth stock [4] - The company reported a 7% rise in comparable earnings per share when excluding foreign exchange effects, indicating strong financial performance [5] - With a dividend yield of 3%, Coca-Cola offers more than double the S&P 500 average and has seen a stock price increase of over 6% this year [6] Group 2: Realty Income - Realty Income, a real estate investment trust (REIT), offers a monthly dividend yield of 5.3%, making it attractive for income investors [8] - The REIT has increased its monthly payout for the 132nd time, reflecting its commitment to regular dividend payments [9] - Realty Income's funds from operations (FFO) per share increased to $2.11, up from $2.01 a year ago, with dividends representing about 77% of adjusted FFO [10] Group 3: AT&T - AT&T has not increased its dividend since 2020 due to operational changes but is expected to resume dividend growth as financials improve [11][12] - The company anticipates free cash flow to rise from $16 billion this year to $19 billion by 2027, supporting potential future dividend increases [12] - AT&T's current dividend yield is 3.8%, and the stock has appreciated by 37% over the past year, trading at a P/E multiple of 17 [13]