For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 20, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Apple Inc. (AAPL), KT Corp. (KTC), SK Telecom (SKM), China Unicom (CHU) and American Express Company (AXP).

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Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

South Korea Welcomes iPhone

Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone is finally reaching the hands of South Korean mobile users. The country’s telecom regulator Korea Communications Commission (“KCC") has granted Apple the license to sell the iconic handset in the domestic cell phone market. KCC has also lifted

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Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone is finally reaching the hands of South Korean mobile users. The country’s telecom regulator Korea Communications Commission (“KCC") has granted Apple the license to sell the iconic handset in the domestic cell phone market. KCC has also lifted the restrictions that prohibited location-based services on smartphone devices such as the Google Maps application on iPhone.    South Korea’s second-largest wireless carrier KT Corp. (KTC) will start booking Internet order for iPhone (3G & 3GS) soon and begin selling it from Nov 28, 2009. The company targets to initially sell 150,000 units priced between KRW250,000 and KRW300,000 (US$216 and US$260). KT’s peer SK Telecom (SKM), the largest mobile operator in the country, is still negotiating with Apple for securing distribution rights.     South Korean wireless market is technologically advanced and relatively mature with roughly 47 million total subscribers, representing 96% penetration of

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South Korea’s largest fixed-line carrier, KT Corp. (KTC), announced third quarter results with reported net income increasing 80% year over year to KRW351.4 billion (US$285 million) or KRW1,497 per share (70 cents per ADS). The annualized growth was driven by gains from wireless and a stronger Korean won versus the US dollar, which helped reduce the cost for foreign currency debt.   Revenues for the quarter increased 3.9% year over year to KRW4.82 triillion (US$1.97 billion), driven by growth in wireless data and subscriber base. However, operating profit declined 11.7% year over year to KRW413.1 billion (US$335 million) due to increase in depreciation and amortisation costs and higher marketing expenses resulting from intense competiion.   KT is battling with its Korean peers SK Telecom (SKM) and LG Dacom to win new customers in a highly matured domestic wireless market, represented by approximately 96% mobile penetration.   ...

I have been much more positive about the Japanese economy than most other analysts in recent months, largely because I believed that many of the problems from the Japanese recession of 1990-2003 were finally in the country’s rearview mirror. In particular, I believed that the Japanese budget deficit – which, by 2003, had become quite acute – was well on the way to being solved through public spending restraint. That, in turn, would allow Japan to pay down its excessive public debt, giving its private sector room to expand. But the surprise resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Monday suggests I may have been wrong about the country’s near-term prospects. Japan Gives Investors a Bubble Bath The Japanese stock market and real estate bubble of the 1980s is now the stuff of stock-market legend, for it sent that country into ...

Korea Electric Power Co., or KEPCO (KEP) registered a net loss in the first half of 2008, bogged down by substantial increase in foreign currency valuation loss, escalating fuel cost and increased price of purchased power.

Also falling Korean Won against the U.S. dollar is affecting import-intensive companies such as utilities with significant dollar-denominated debt. Going forward we expect much improved performance and modest price appreciation.

KEPCO is the dominant player in Korea’s electricity sector, and the Korean company continues to be well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in this market and to benefit from the current industry restructuring initiated by the Korean government.

However, in the scenario of volatile global energy prices, Chinese embargo on coal exports and higher fuel costs, stagnation of electricity rates, KEPCO continues to face risks of increasing costs, thereby often reporting lower operating earnings and net income. Therefore, we maintain our Hold recommendation on KEPCO

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