Singapore Telecommunications Ltd

SGX:Z74

Earnings Call Transcript 2020-Q4

[Chua Koong, executive]

Thank you for joining us for Singtel's results for the fourth quarter and financial year ended 31st March 2020.

Before we discuss the financial results, let me share an update about the group's financial reporting. Starting from the new financial year, we will be adopting half yearly announcements of our financial results and providing quarterly business updates to help investors track the group's business performance.

I will now move on to discuss our response to the COVID-19 situation. We took proactive and decisive action, helping customers stay connected, minimizing disruption. Our services support critical government functions, remote working, online learning, entertainment and underpin the continued running of businesses. In anticipation of a surge in traffic, we bolstered our network capacity and maintained high network performance levels. We implemented enhanced work arrangements, be it from home or on site. Approximately 85% and 70% of our staff in Singapore and Australia are working from home. We ensure our frontline staff working in offices, shops or sites receive additional protection and equipment to stay healthy and safe. We continue to deliver market-leading customer experiences despite disruption to our manpower deployment and offshore call centers as a result of lockdowns. Additional resources were rapidly mobilized, and customers were encouraged to use our digital interaction channels and service applications.

Our enterprise customers adapted quickly to the new operating environment, leveraging our suite of business and productivity tools, such as for video conferencing, e-commerce and cybersecurity protection. We implemented a range of support measures for our customers and communities. We rallied our staff and raised SGD 2 million to support vulnerable groups in Singapore during these testing times.

Amid weaker hiring sentiments, we're also stepping up with training and employment opportunities. In Australia, we recruited customer service offices from industries affected by the downturn. In Singapore, we are providing traineeship opportunities to fresh graduates and reskilling existing staff. These initiatives help us build a pipeline of talents while boosting their employability in preparation for the upturn in the jobs markets. We are seeing dramatic changes in the demand and consumption of our services against the backdrop of a likely global slowdown. Roaming traffic has plunged due to significantly reduced travel. Local data usage has grown significantly, albeit mainly on our fast fiber broadband network and generous data allowances on our mobile plans.

As customers cut back on discretionary spending, particularly in the emerging markets, this has affected prepaid usage and top-ups as well as equipment sales. With the drop in business activities, enterprises are similarly reviewing their costs and purchase decisions.

As marketing budgets are cut, Amobee has seen sharp declines in advertising spend. Expectedly, collections from customers have also slowed. These are just some early observations. The full impact of the pandemic will only become clearer as the economic consequences unfold over the next few months. More importantly, COVID-19 is radically driving changes in customer behavior and accelerating the digital future. Movement restrictions have driven customers to use our digital channels for purchases, payments, remittances and other services. Business owners are looking for reliable and secure digital solutions to strengthen their operations. As a key enabler of communications and digital technology with a digitally-savvy workforce, we are positioned to seize these opportunities and emerge stronger for the longer term.

Let me now move to key highlights of the year. Network investment remains a priority for the group. In FY '20, we invested SGD 1 billion into mobile infrastructure to strengthen our network position in Singapore and Australia. Optus was named Australia's strongest brand, a validation of its network enhancement and positive customer experience. We are focused on extending our lead in the 5G era and have launched commercial 5G services in Australia and the Philippines. In Singapore and Thailand, we have secured 5G spectrum and will roll this out this year.

NCS delivered strong growth. It closed the year with SGD 3.2 billion worth of orders on new wins and contract renewals from multiple public agencies. Optus migrated more than 250,000 HFC customers onto the NBN, tripling its NBN migration revenue to reach a peak of AUD 607 million in the year. On an ongoing basis, the shift from HFC to NBN resale results in low margins for our fixed business. The group also made good progress with its digitalization and cost transformation programs, realizing more than SGD 400 million in cost savings. For our associates, it was a year of digital growth, but customer spend has started to slow on COVID-19 concerns. In India, Intel is starting to turn the corner with market share gains and higher ARPUs. The outlook for the economy is uncertain, but the digital future is here. We have much more to do, and I will share some of the group's priorities for the new financial year.

It has been a challenging year for the group. Pre-COVID-19, business and consumer sentiment was subdued by economic uncertainties and bushfires in Australia. These challenges were exacerbated by structural shifts in our markets with new mobile and MVNO players, increased competition, carriage and pricing erosion. We also saw adverse regulatory and court outcomes in India.

For the financial year, revenue decreased by 2% in constant currency, with declines in mobile service revenue and equipment sales across Singapore and Australia. EBIT before associates contributions fell 21%. Optus posted lower revenue and earnings with low margins from NBN resale and equipment sales, partly mitigated by stronger NBN migration revenue. Regional associates' pretax profits rose 10% in constant currency as losses from Airtel narrowed with tariff increases in December, offsetting higher depreciation and amortization recorded by the associates.

Underlying net profit declined 13% while net profit fell 65% as the group recorded its share of provision for regulatory demands in India, mainly on license fees and spectrum charges.

The group's financial position remains healthy. Our credit ratings places among the highest-rated telcos globally. Net debt stood at SGD 12.5 billion including the recognition of SGD 2.1 billion of lease liabilities under Singapore Financial Reporting Standards International for Leases. Free cash flow rose 4% with positive working capital, lower tax payments and accounting standard changes, offsetting the impact of lower earnings and associates dividends. Given market volatility from COVID-19, we strengthened the group's liquidity position, raising SGD 4.2 billion in credit facilities in April. The group's performance for the financial year was within guidance.

For the financial year to March 2020, the Board has recommended a final ordinary dividend of $0.0545 per share bringing total dividends to $0.1225 or a payout ratio of 81% of underlying net profit. This is lower than the $0.175 paid in the previous year. The reduction in dividend payout is prudent to conserve financial headroom to cope with uncertainties in the current COVID-19 operating environment and the capacity to invest in 5G.

The Singapore consumer business gained market share and expanded its leadership position in mobile and fixed services, despite the challenging conditions and the impact of COVID-19. Roaming services were hit by travel restrictions, while prepaid revenues fell with lower tourist arrivals and foreign workers. Mobile service revenue was down 12%, led by roaming and prepaid declines as well as continued voice erosion. Disruption enhanced supplies and weaker consumer spend drove a steep decline in equipment sales. Fixed revenue rose with continued growth in broadband and TV. EBITDA improved from tighter cost control and wage credits.

It was a weak quarter for Australia consumer with declines of 8% and 22% in revenue and EBITDA, respectively. Customers are waiting longer before upgrading their devices, contributing to lower handset sales and increasing take-up of SIM-only plans where competition remains intense. Mobile service revenue declined on increased SIM-only customer mix, lower data breakage and early impacts of COVID-19 on roaming, breakage and late payment fees. Equipment revenue fell on lower sales volumes and an increased mix of lower-margin devices.

Postpaid and prepaid customers were down due to a one-off adjustment of inactive customers in the quarter. For the year, strong postpaid additions drove an increase of 133,000 in total mobile customers. NBN broadband customer base rose 45,000, driving an increase in traffic costs and adverse margin impact.

EBITDA fell due to lower margins in equipment sales and the shift from HFC to NBN resale as well as additional provision for bad debts, reflecting increased economic uncertainties. EBITDA ex NBN migration was down 25%.

The enterprise business held its market leadership in Singapore and Asia Pacific despite carriage declines. With travel and road shows disrupted by COVID-19, carriage erosion intensified, roaming and equipment sales fell sharply. ICT revenue rose on strong contributions from NCS with key wins in the public sector as well as higher data center revenues.

Cybersecurity revenue was up with higher contributions from Asia and the U.S., offsetting weaker Australia performance where sales were boosted by a large contract last year. In Australia, weak economic conditions continued to weigh on the business. On a sequential quarter basis, Optus business continued to stabilize and posted a second consecutive quarter of revenue improvement. EBITDA increased 5% on strong revenue and margin growth in ICT services, wage credits and lower staff incentive accruals, offsetting declines in Australia.

Amobee revenue fell 14%, mainly due to one-off revenue from the delivery of an ITV contract milestone last year. Since March, brands and advertisers have been cutting their advertising budgets, exacerbating the decline in our media and social business. EBITDA losses narrowed with cost management at Amobee and cessation of HOOQ's operations.

With more restrictive quarantine measures introduced towards the end of the quarter, our associates expect to see larger effects from COVID-19 in the next quarter. For the quarter, regional associates' pretax profit climbed 29%, as Airtel narrowed its losses on strong growth in 4G subscribers and mobile price hikes last December. Airtel Africa maintained its strong operating momentum, recording a ninth straight quarter of double-digit revenue growth and margin expansion, partly dampened by currency headwinds. Telkomsel continued to face intense competition outside Java as well as pressures on its legacy business.

In Thailand, AIS' service revenue was impacted by an increase in competition as well as lower tourist SIMs and roaming traffic from travel restrictions. It also recorded higher depreciation and amortization from network investments. In the Philippines, Globe delivered healthy growth but net income fell on higher depreciation costs from network investments to increase capacity and coverage.

Given the unprecedented disruption from COVID-19, we will not be providing guidance for the next financial year. We will update the market when there are material developments or when there's greater clarity in the operating environment.

Let me share how we're aligning our business for longer-term growth. We will continue our multiyear 5G CapEx program to strengthen our network and market leadership and to create new revenue opportunities. We are undertaking a review of our tower assets in Australia to explore strategic options, and have engaged advisers to assist with this review. We are committed to helping our associates grow their digital and enterprise businesses by leveraging the group's scale and operating experience and the associates' leading market positions. Our focus on digital ICT and cybersecurity businesses will help us better engage customers and set us apart from competition. Lastly, we will continue to transform our operating model, automating our processes and investing in digital capabilities and technologies.

And with this, I conclude my presentation. Thank you.

[Statements in English on this transcript were spoken by an interpreter present on the live call.]