Legal restructure formalises separate ownership of infrastructure assets in new entities
Restructure creates optionality to monetise embedded value in privileged infrastructure assets
Strong global demand exists for mobile tower assets at compelling valuations
Telstra International to be established, with a focus on subsea cables
Global demand for high quality telecommunication infrastructure assets supports long term shareholder value accretion.
Telstra legal restructure
Telstra is on track to finalise its legal restructure over the course of 2022, which will see the establishment of a new parent entity, to be known as Telstra Group Limited. Telstra shareholders will receive one new Telstra Group Limited share for each of their existing Telstra Corporation Limited shares. The legal restructure will result in the transfer of assets and liabilities between various entities within the Group. The transfers will be effected by a Scheme of Arrangement, which requires Court approval before the changes can be implemented.
The restructure is much more than a variation to Telstra’s name; it is a fundamental change that responds to a rapidly evolving telecommunications industry driven by digitisation, analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and related technology network ‘smarts’, as well as unlocking the inherent value embedded in Telstra’s privileged assets. These key essential assets include the towers, ducts, fibre, data centres, subsea cables and exchanges that support Australia’s leading telecommunications network. The restructure is a complex process and the most significant corporate change since privatisation.
A key outcome for shareholders is that the restructure should enable a higher overall market value to be attributed to the Group by improving visibility and returns on essential fixed assets with monopolistic style characteristics and value. This is because Telstra’s infrastructure assets have identifiable, contracted, long term, recurrent and low-risk cash flows. These assets, on a standalone basis, autonomously managed by a separate leadership group, should release value to shareholders over time. While not explicitly stated by Telstra’s management, the legal and structural separation of key monopolistic style assets provides optionality for the sale or separate ASX listing of these assets. Given their reliable cash flow and low risk profiles, compared to other service-oriented parts of the business, a standalone entity comprising these assets is likely to command a premium valuation by global investors.
Four Standalone Business Units
Once implemented, Telstra’s legal structure will comprise four main operating entities:
InfraCo Fixed
InfraCo Towers
ServeCo
Telstra International.
InfraCo Fixed will own and operate Telstra’s physical infrastructure assets. These assets include ducts, fibre, data centres, and exchanges.
InfraCo Towers will own and operate Telstra’s mobile tower assets. It is these assets that have the market keenly interested, given the strong demand and compelling valuations for this type of high-quality infrastructure.
ServeCo will maintain Telstra’ focus on products and services, including the radio access network and spectrum assets that are mission critical to the Group’s mobile coverage and network superiority.
Telstra International will be established as a separate subsidiary within the Group, with a focus on subsea cables.
Intercompany Agreements have been created between the infrastructure owners (InfraCo Fixed and InfraCo Towers) and ServeCo that support sustainable earnings for each of these entities and preserve shareholder value at the Group level.
Image: File
Looking Ahead
The legal restructure terms, once approved by the Court, will be put to a shareholder vote to ratify the Scheme of Arrangement. The Scheme Booklet outlining the restructure terms is expected to be available to shareholders in September 2022. Depending on the date of the shareholder meeting to vote on the restructure, the exchange of new shares in Telstra Group Limited is expected to occur by the end of October 2022.
For now, investor focus is less about the state of the business today and more about how well positioned Telstra is for the future. The digital economy is the future and its dependence on a reliable, technologically superior telecommunications platform is fundamental to the vibrancy and productivity of the Australian economy.
The legal and physical restructure of Telstra is right for the times and with the increasing value of infrastructure assets globally, the soon to be re-named Telstra Group Limited, is well placed to deliver shareholder value accretion over the long term.
This Post Market Wrap is presented by Kodari Securities, written by Michael Kodari, CEO at KOSEC.
In Short:
– Earnings reports from Tesla and Netflix might affect U.S. stock performance next week amid high inflation concerns.
– Increased market volatility arises from U.S.-China trade tensions and fewer S&P 500 stocks in an uptrend.
This coming week, earnings reports from companies including Tesla and Netflix are anticipated to impact U.S. stock performance.
Investors are also awaiting delayed U.S. inflation data, which could test market stability as it remains near record highs.Recent trading activity has shown increased volatility, influenced by ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions and concerns regarding regional bank credit risks. The CBOE volatility index has seen a rise, indicating increased market uncertainty.
The S&P 500 entered its fourth year of growth amidst these fluctuations, having previously experienced a period of calm. Experts suggest market risks are intensifying as valuations reach peak levels.
Market Volatility
Concerns regarding U.S.-China trade relations escalated last week when the U.S. threatened to raise tariffs by November 1 over China’s rare-earth export policies. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping in two weeks to discuss these issues.
Despite these challenges, major stock indexes gained ground over the week, with the S&P 500 up 13.3% year-to-date. However, a noticeable decline in the number of S&P 500 stocks in an uptrend raises caution among investors about underlying market weaknesses.
The upcoming third-quarter earnings will be closely monitored, especially as the government shutdown halts economic data releases. Companies like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, RTX, and IBM are due to report. The delayed U.S. consumer price index is also expected to provide crucial insights ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy meeting on October 28-29.
In Short:
– Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 4.5% in September, the highest since November 2021.
– Economists note a cooling labour market, with fewer job ads and increased participation rate amid rising living costs.
Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 4.5 per cent in September, up from 4.3 per cent in August.It marks the highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate since November 2021.
Economists suggest that the Reserve Bank should consider another interest rate cut next month. BetaShares chief economist David Bassanese noted a slowdown in employment demand as the labour market struggles to accommodate job seekers.
The number of officially unemployed rose by 33,900 in September, while the employment count increased by 14,900. The labour force expanded by 48,800 people, resulting in a participation rate rise of 0.1 percentage points to 67 per cent, returning to July levels.
In trend terms, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3 per cent.
Labour Market
BDO chief economist Anders Magnusson stated that while the unemployment rate has increased, the labour market is cooling, not collapsing.
He pointed out that the 14,900 jobs added in September were slightly below the average for the past year.
A growing participation rate indicates that rising living costs are prompting more individuals to seek employment. Magnusson said the release confirms a gradual cooling of the labour market that keeps the Reserve Bank on track without necessitating immediate action.
He added that hiring activity is slowing, signalled by a 3.3 per cent drop in job advertisements in September, the largest monthly decrease since February 2024.
Despite this, he does not foresee a rate cut in November.
In Short:
– Stocks rose on Monday after Trump expressed optimism about trade relations with China.
– The Dow Jones gained 621 points, with significant increases in tech stocks and broad market recovery.
Stocks gained ground on Monday, recovering from Friday’s decline after President Donald Trump expressed optimism regarding trade relations with China, stating they “will all be fine.”The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 621 points, approximately 70% of its previous loss. The S&P 500 experienced a 1.6% increase, nearing a 60% recovery of its earlier drop. The Nasdaq Composite increased by 2.3%, bolstered by rebounds in technology stocks.
Oracle’s stock surged over 5%, with AMD and Nvidia seeing 1% and 3% increases, respectively. Broadcom’s stock jumped 10% following the announcement of a partnership with OpenAI.
Trump’s comments hinted that he might not impose a significant increase in tariffs on China, which had previously caused market turmoil. Vice President JD Vance similarly indicated a willingness to negotiate with China, while also asserting that the U.S. holds advantages in potential trade discussions.
Broader Recovery
Monday’s trading saw a positive shift with four out of five S&P 500 stocks rising, indicating widespread recovery. Small-cap stocks also made gains, with the Russell 2000 rising over 2.5%.
Market concerns persist, however, with a government shutdown continuing and a major payroll deadline approaching on October 15. Earnings reports from major financial institutions, including Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, are expected this week, potentially impacting market sentiment.