Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley reports that China's three major telecom operators achieved an overall net profit growth of approximately 5% year-on-year in the first half of this year, primarily supported by cost optimization measures [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - The three telecom operators have increased their dividend payout ratios year-on-year, demonstrating a commitment to enhancing shareholder returns [1] - Morgan Stanley estimates that the H-share dividend yield for the three telecom operators remains attractive at 5% to 6%, with China Mobile having the highest yield at 6% [1] Group 2: Revenue Trends - The year-on-year growth of cloud revenue for the three telecom operators has significantly slowed from an estimated 17% to 35% in 2024 to 5% to 10% in the first half of this year, attributed to increased market share of internet companies and a slowdown in digitalization demand from state-owned enterprises [1] Group 3: Investment Outlook - Morgan Stanley maintains a positive outlook on China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, all rated as "Overweight," due to strong dividend returns, profit growth, and potential upside in cloud revenue [1] - China Telecom is highlighted as the preferred stock due to its highest proportion of cloud business and the resilience of its traditional mobile and broadband services [1]

Group 1 - DBS has raised the target price for China Unicom (00762.HK) H-shares from HKD 11.1 to HKD 12.1, maintaining a "Buy" rating [1] - The company confirmed a full-year dividend of RMB 0.40 per share, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.1%, with a payout ratio rising by 5 percentage points to 60% [1] - Although China Unicom is the only major mainland telecom operator without a committed payout ratio, DBS expects the company to gradually increase the payout ratio to 65% by next year [1]