[ET Net News Agency, 8 July 2020] Nomura lowered its target price for China Tower
(00788) to HK$2.15 from HK$2.35 and maintained its "buy" rating.
Although the 5G supply chain seems to be muted recently amid concerns of US government
sanctions weighing on Huawei, the research house thinks it's still in the early cycle of
5G roll-out, and that telecom operators are on track to add 680k new 5G base stations
(BTS) this year. This would mean a gradual acceleration in the rollout schedule after the
pause in 1Q due to COVID-19.
As a dominant supplier of tower site services, China Tower should benefit from the
demand uptick in China's 5G network, Nomura said. Meanwhile, Nomura expects a steady
improvement in tenancy ratios and utilization of social resources, which should ensure
sustainable profits and cash flow, leading to better dividend growth. (KL)