Subscriber Growth For Major Chinese Mobile Companies (CHL, CHU, CHA)

Today China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) posted big numbers in its subscriber growth, claiming 500 million mobile users.  By this metric, China Mobile can claim the title of the worlds biggest mobile company.  However, looking at subscribers in terms of percentage growth over the past year tells a different story.  The first chart below compares China Mobile, China Unicom (NYSE: CHU), and China Telecom (NYSE: CHA) on the basis of  monthly subscriber growth off the September 2008 base.  The second shows the monthly change in each stock price off their respective September 2008 price. (It should it be noted that there is a delay in the release of the monthly subscriber number for each company.)

Chart 1: Monthly Subscriber Growth, September 08-September 09

Chart 2: Monthly change in stock price, September 08-September 09

While some may appreciate steady companies, its hard not to like the exponential growth in China Telecom’s mobile subscriber base.

Garrett W. McIntyre