Bangkok--9 Feb--Ogilvy Public Relations
Intouch Holdings Public Company Limited announced its 2018 investment plan would focus on investment through subsidiaries and affiliates with growing data service and business, digital media, digital commerce, and investment through potential partners. The company also announced strong performance in 2017 with 10,673 million baht net profit.
Mr. Anek Pana-apichon, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Intouch Holdings PLC. said, "Telecommunications and data service have been expanding very quickly. This is evidenced in the strong performance in our companies which provide services related to data and digital commerce. AIS, for example, has seen a significant increase of 19% in data service and 264% increase in high-speed Internet. This trend has convinced us to continue our four main strategies this year, namely effective asset management, building new growth, holding of excellence, and continuing as a performance-driven organization, to strengthen our leadership in the telecommunications, media, and technology business and increase our ability to create sustainable returns to shareholders.
"We will also maintain our pass through dividend policy. Majority of profit sharing contributed by our subsidiaries and affiliates will be paid to shareholders as dividend. We schedule to pay dividend on 27 April 2018. When combined with the interim payment for 1 January - 30 June 2017 at 1.25 baht per share paid on 5 September 2017, this year Intouch will pay 2.52 baht per share in total," said Mr. Pana-apichon.
AIS: Data and Broadband Internet Growth
In 2017, Intouch has received 12,126 million baht contribution from AIS, one of its core subsidiaries, similar to that received in 2016. At the end of the 4th quarter 2017, AIS has a total of 40.1 million customers, and its data service revenue increased by 19% driven by rapid 4G service expansion. High speed Internet revenue also increased significantly. In addition, AIS Fiber customers have increased by 73% to 521,200 customers.
AIS remained the major revenue contributor to Intouch last year. Intouch has received revenue contribution from AIS according to the shareholding proportion in AIS. It is expected that in 2018, the revenue contribution from AIS to increase by 7-8%. Part of the revenue would come from acquisition of CSL business. In addition, AIS planned to continuously invest between 35-38 billion baht to support the fast growing data and broadband Internet service.
InVent: Investment in Future Business
InVent is Intouch's major corporate venture capital company. Its outstanding performance is contributed by its effective policy to invest in high potential startups, especially those in telecommunications, media, and technology industry. In the past year, Intouch spent 112 million baht for additional three investments in Digio (Thailand), who provides mobile point of sales system, Event Pop Holdings Pte. Ltd, the developer and provider of end-to-end event management platform service, and Ecommerce Enablers Pte. Ltd., an integrated e-commerce platform that allows online shoppers to take a portion of their cash back in e-wallet after purchasing products on this platform.
InVent currently invests in 13 startups with a total investment of 402 million baht. The value of these companies have increased to over 600 million bat. In 2018, Intouch plans to make 200 million baht investment in telecommunications, media, and technology industry.
Satellite: Flat Business, Seeking Customers in Emerging Markets
Intouch expects Thaicom revenue to slightly drop in 2018 because of high competition. The Company will focus on seeking new customers in high-growth market in Africa, South Asia, and the Mekong Subregion. Broadband satellite business will start to recognize revenue from customers who signed contract with Thaicom in 2017, including customers from Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, India and Thailand.
TV shopping: Strongly Positive Trend
High Shopping has recorded 80% revenue growth in the past year. Major factors contributing to the strong performance is the channel expansion from satellite TV to digital TV, cable TV and online channels. It has also partnered with leading online shopping service providers, such as Lazada, 11street, and Shopee. This has increased its visibility and customer reached. As a result, the total sales revenue per day at High Shopping has increased from 1 million baht in 2016 to 1.8 million baht in 2017. It is expected that the daily sales would reach 2.5 million baht in 2018.
Mr. Pana-apichon said, "When considering the GDP growth of approximately 4% this year and the increasing popularity and demand for digital media, we are confident in our business focus on investment and business expansion in the telecommunications, media, and technology industry. We are committed to create more value to consumers and the business sector as well as to support the transformation towards digital economy and sustainable society."
About Intouch
Intouch Holdings Plc (SET: INTUCH) is the leading holding company in telecommunications, media, and technology, whose purpose is to connect Thais with technology that uplifts their quality of lives through the professionally-run company under good corporate governance, good corporate citizenship, and delivering deliver sustainable growth and long-term value to shareholders. The company had garnered many prestigious awards over the years, including "Best Popular Stock Award" and the "Best Popular Technology Stock Award" for three consecutive years from the Stock Exchange of Thailand and Khao Hoon Turakit newspaper, "Best CEO Awards" and the "Best Company Performance Award" (in the category of market capitalization of more than 100,000 million baht) from "SET AWARDS 2015", organized by the Stock Exchange of Thailand and Money & Banking Magazine, as well as ASEAN Corporate Governance Awards 2015, and Asian Excellence Recognition Awards 2015 by Corporate Governance Asia. From its outstanding performance, the company was also awarded with several awards e.g. Best Investor Relations Award 2015/2016 from Investment Analysts Association (IAA), and Investor's Choice Award for the fourth consecutive year from Thai Investors Association. The company recently received "Thailand's Top Corporate Brand Value 2017", two awards from the Stock Exchange of Thailand for the third consecutive year; "The Outstanding Company Performance Awards" from "SET Award 2017" and "Thailand Sustainability Investment Awards" from "SET Sustainability Awards 2017 and also received the ESG 100 certification from Thaipat Institute."