If there is any network that has grown with its audience in Nigeria, it is MTN. With its most active users covering a demography of age 18 to 27, it is the network for the tech-age youth. From keeping them up all night with friends for Extra Cool calls to the nostalgic adverts, the network has had its fair share of growth – and signals show no sign of it slowing down.
Just like its brand, the company has strategically positioned itself and made expansionary decisions to get it to where it is – the second most capitalized stock in the NSE. MTN Nigeria’s (MTNN) Q1 2020 financials show that the company has it good and we’re not surprised.
Its results reveal a great quarter for the telecommunications giant with a 16.7% gain in revenue, making ₦329.1 billion in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the ₦282.1 billion it made in the comparative quarter, Q1 2019. The telecommunication industry has naturally enjoyed a spike in usage since the last month of the quarter owing to the enforced lockdown, and its streak is still in motion.
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With a ₦51.1 billion profit for the period in comparison to Q1 2019 of ₦48.4 billion, it disclosed profits 5.9% higher than last year – even with increased finance costs of 25.3% percent revealing the capital-raising measures taken by the group to stimulate its operations. It was also in line with this that the company recorded a jump of 103.5% in interest expense on borrowings from ₦7.9 billion in Q1 2019 to ₦16.1 billion in Q1 2020. Total value also recorded a jump as there was a 35.3% growth in the group’s net asset from Q1 2019’s ₦145 billion to Q1 2020’s ₦196 billion.
Its revenue figure is defined by a jump in voice calls of 6.14% from the ₦182.8 billion earned in Q1 2019, to its Q1 2020 ₦194 billion turnovers. However, it is nothing compared to the 58.84% increase in revenue derived from local data usage (excluding roaming data) in the quarter from Q1 2019. Value-added service and digital services also witnessed a jump of 33.93% and 12.11% respectively. Having settled the $2 billion claim for back taxes it was plagued with last year that swayed investor confidence, it certainly came back strong this year.
Naturally, the lockdown has contributed its fair share to the performance of the stock though most of this will reflect in its second-quarter results. With more people using their phones, we expected a spike in revenue governed by increased data usage. This trend is bound to be higher in the second quarter as more Nigerians choose to work from home relying on internet data to power their tasks. And for those without jobs, the internet serves as a perfect companion in both times of need and despair.
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The telecommunication industry itself is a growing one; Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveals that as at Q4 2019, the telecoms industry contributed 10.60% to the GDP of the country and the total active telephone subscribers in Nigeria as at January stood at 185.7 million. With MTNN holding the largest market share of active telephone subscribers – 38% of GSM subscribers and 43% of internet subscribers, there is no doubting its growth trajectory.
Covid-19 does posses some risk for the company, particularly in the Nigerian context. In times past, the government looks for who to prey when its revenues are faltering. MTN was once a prey and it paid a huge price for falling into the government’s trap. As the economy falters more eyes will focus on organisations that are posting monstrous profits. Taxes, penalties, donations should interest the government and MTN would be careful to protect investor interest while giving to Ceasar its due.
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MTNN and the Market
MTNN’s share price has had a turbulent 2020. The stock is up 6.6% YTD and fell to a year low of N90 in March. At a price-earnings ratio of 11.3x investors are bullish about its ability to continue to deliver impressive growth. MTN has had a nice ride since its listing about a year ago. The first wave was observed within 48 hours of its being listed on the NSE for the first time in May 2019 when it was immediately ranked amongst the NSE top 5. It also didn’t take a couple of months before it shook the market by becoming the first on the NSE, temporarily surpassing Dangote Cement.
Having settled its tax disputes, its shares hit an all-time high of N159 per share before pulling back as investors worried about the faltering economy. MTN share price is still a bit off its 2020 high of 127 and could well be on its way there.
The price closed at ₦112 on Monday 11th May with a 52-week range of ₦90 and ₦159.3.
