SK Telecom

SKM

Market cap $8.14B

SK Telecom trades at ~4x EV/EBITDA and under 10x earnings, a steep discount compared to global peers and its own history. A major cybersecurity breach in April 2025 led to customer churn and one-time costs, causing a sharp decline in profitability. The company's aggressive AI investments and valuable stakes in startups, like Anthropic and Perplexity AI, are largely unrecognized in its current valuation.

South Korea's SK Telecom was fined on Thursday about 134 billion won ($96.53 million) after the country's largest mobile carrier suffered a cyberattack this year causing the leak of data for nearly 27 million users.

SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (NYSE:SKM ) Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call August 6, 2025 1:00 AM ET Company Participants Hyunwoo Lee - Head of AI DC Development Office Jae Woong Yoon - Head of Marketing Strategy Office Jun Chung Hee - VP & Head of IR Yang-Seob Kim - CFO, Head of Corporate Planning Center & Executive Director Young Sang Ryu - CEO, President & Executive Director Conference Call Participants Aram Kim - Shinhan Investment Corp., Research Division Hoi Jae Kim - Daishin Securities Co. Ltd.

SK Telecom is undervalued, trading at 4x FWD EBITDA versus peers at 8.5x, with strong FCF growth potential from ongoing capital expenditures. Strategic disposals and alliances, including recent subsidiary sales, are expected to lower net debt and enhance stock valuation in the near future. New AI-driven products, cloud services, and 85,000 Wi-Fi access points position SKM for accelerated revenue and FCF growth despite competitive and regulatory risks.

South Korean authorities ordered on Friday SK Telecom to strengthen data security and imposed a fine after the country's biggest mobile carrier was hit by a cyberattack that caused the leak of 26.96 million pieces of user data.

SK Telecom's recent cybersecurity breach has depressed its valuation, creating a potential long-term buying opportunity reminiscent of Buffett's Amex 'salad oil scandal' play. Despite near-term headwinds, SK Telecom's leading market position, strong balance sheet, and aggressive AI investments support a bullish long-term thesis. Management is prioritizing customer trust and reputation over short-term profits, which is probably the right approach for long-term value creation.

SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (NYSE:SKM ) Q1 2025 Results Conference Call May 12, 2025 3:00 AM ET Company Participants Hee Jun Chung - Investor Relations Yang-Seob Kim - Chief Financial Officer Jae Woong Yoon - Head of Marketing Strategy Office Lee Hyunwoo - Head of AIDC Development Conference Call Participants Kim Joonsop - KB Securities Seung Woong Lee - Yuanta Securities Soojin Kim - Mirae Asset Securities Hee Jun Chung Good afternoon.

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SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won apologised on Wednesday for a massive data leak at South Korea's largest mobile carrier, SK Telecom, which has caused concern among its 23 million users over the possible theft of personal and financial information.

Investors looking for stocks in the Wireless Non-US sector might want to consider either SK Telecom (SKM) or TeliaSonera AB (TLSNY). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors?