Telecommunications

Capital Calls: Microsoft, AT&T, American Airlines

7 Dec 2021

Concise views on global finance: Microsoft is finally being scrutinized with Europe’s probe of its $16 bln Nuance deal; U.S. lawmakers have antitrust worries about the telecom firm’s Discovery deal; American Airlines’ retiring CEO leaves shareholders short-changed.

Bondholders are biggest losers in telco LBO frenzy

1 Dec 2021

Telecom Italia’s bonds fell on fears that the securities may not be redeemed if KKR’s $37 bln buyout succeeds. The M&A boom has made unexpected targets of large public companies. Even when investors enjoy stronger protections, as with UK rival BT, these offer limited solace.

Telecom Italia will keep bankers busy in 2022

29 Nov 2021

KKR’s $12 bln proposal has put the telco in play. The process is likely to involve multiple bidders and key actors including French shareholder Vivendi and the Italian government. As with Telecom Italia’s 1999 leveraged takeover, it’s a boon for bankers, lawyers and consultants.

Mukesh Ambani BT bid would struggle for clear line

29 Nov 2021

His Reliance would earn a so-so return buying the UK telco’s enterprise for 38 bln pounds. It’d be a distraction for his energy-to-retail conglomerate’s huge India ambitions too. He can more comfortably get a taste of a rich market by narrowing his focus to BT’s broadband unit.

Succession mess turns Orange into governance lemon

25 Nov 2021

The $30 bln French phone firm is seeking a new chairman and CEO after incumbent Stéphane Richard received a criminal conviction. A previous trial in 2019 should have prodded the board to line up a replacement. Splitting the top jobs is a first step to smoother future transitions.

Cox: Telecom Italia and the curse of the euro era

25 Nov 2021

The 1999 buyout of Italy’s phone monopoly baptised Europe’s new single currency. The years since have been terrible for the company and its many trophy-seeking owners, who have lost some $23 bln. Here’s why the latest offer from private equity firm KKR offers hope for redemption.

Viewsroom: Barbarians invade Rome; Biden’s Fed

25 Nov 2021

The board of Italy’s phone monopoly has a golden opportunity to end years of creeping control, poor governance and dismal performance by considering a sale following the unsolicited $12 bln bid from KKR. And Gina Chon explains why Jay Powell has the hardest job in finance.

KKR has wiggle room to sweeten Telecom Italia bid

24 Nov 2021

The U.S. private equity group will need to raise its 33 bln euro offer for the Italian telco to win over investors Vivendi and CDP. It’s already the largest buyout in European history. But KKR has ways to fund the deal without overloading Telecom Italia with debt.

Telenor dials up another promising Asian deal

23 Nov 2021

Following its jumbo Malaysian merger, the Norwegian telecom operator plans to combine its Thai unit with a rival owned by conglomerate CP. There’s a 25% premium on offer to sell, but $2 bln of intended synergies from the first transaction suggest sticking around is a better call.

KKR bid is next act in Telecom Italia soap opera

22 Nov 2021

The buyout group wants to take the phone operator private for 10.8 bln euros. Offering less than the pre-pandemic share price looks opportunistic. Yet the 47% premium will tempt all but top investor Vivendi, which is nursing hefty losses. The board should start a conversation.

Ericsson makes puzzling $6.2 bln ascent into cloud

22 Nov 2021

That’s how much the Swedish telecom kit maker is paying for web-based communications firm Vonage. With few cost savings on offer CEO Börje Ekholm will take years to generate a decent return. Moving into a fast-growing but ultra-competitive sector highlights his need to diversify.

African telcos finally get their big fintech prize

8 Nov 2021

After years of delay, Nigeria’s central bank is letting phone firms offer basic banking via handsets. For the regulator, it’s a way of staying relevant as consumers dabble in cryptocurrencies. For operators like MTN and Airtel Africa, it’s a multibillion-dollar payday.

Capital Calls: BT’s fibre, Ford vs. Toyota, SocGen

4 Nov 2021

Concise views on global finance: Leaner broadband rollout boosts the UK telco’s defences against uppity investor Patrick Drahi; the two carmakers trade at similar multiples despite the Japanese outfit’s racier performance; the next leg of the French bank’s revamp will be harder.

Rogers board fight puts public shareholders last

27 Oct 2021

A squabble over who is running Canada’s largest wireless carrier is the latest intrigue in an industry defined by dynastic politicking. While it makes for good drama, Canada’s family-controlled telecom giants have helped create a market that is among the world’s most expensive.

Aussie telecom deal borrows from Beijing playbook

26 Oct 2021

Telstra is buying Digicel’s South Pacific arm in a deal designed to keep the business out of Chinese hands. Taxpayers Down Under will cover most of the $1.6 bln price tag. That helps protect shareholders, but it’s also a disconcerting mix of politics and private capital.

Altice Portugal sale would fuel Drahi M&A machine

22 Oct 2021

CVC and Blackstone are eyeing a 7 bln euro deal for the telecom tycoon’s Iberian unit, Bloomberg reported. They could net a tidy return since it has already done the heavy lifting on fibre investment. A sale would give the Sotheby’s owner cash to fund a tilt at France’s Eutelsat.

African phone-mast IPO priced for smooth safari

11 Oct 2021

IHS, which operates 30,000 towers across the continent, is listing in New York after an aborted attempt in 2018. Though its exposure to turbulent Nigeria is a worry, telecom kit has proved its worth in chaotic places. A market value of up to $8 bln reflects a generous discount.

Samsung etches fresh way to take on TSMC

8 Oct 2021

Memory chips are set to help lift the South Korean company’s quarterly operating profit 28% to $13 bln. Growth at its small semiconductor design and manufacturing arms also warrant greater attention. Customers like Tesla could make the units secret weapons against Taiwan's titan.

Telefonica can play hard to get in fibre sale

6 Oct 2021

The 23 bln euro Spanish telco may flog a chunk of its super-fast domestic broadband network. With the fibre rollout almost done and debt vaguely in check, Telefonica isn’t desperate for the cash. That means it can wait for a buyer ready to top the reported 15 bln euro valuation.

India spotlights Facebook’s ubiquity problem

5 Oct 2021

The social network and its WhatsApp platform are proxies for the internet and phone in the $920 bln company’s biggest market. So their outage had users scrambling. That’s New Delhi’s cue to extend its aggressive effort to curb Facebook’s heft beyond simply policing content.