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).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

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

...

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

...

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.   ...

South Korea’s largest wireless carrier SK Telecom (SKM) announced plans to introduce its fixed-mobile substitution (“FMS") service. Assuming near-term approval of the service by the telecom regulator Korea Communications Commission, the company targets the commercial launch on Nov 1.   FMS refers to use of cellular handsets instead of wired or cordless landline phones for communication. This entails migration of voice minutes from fixed-line to wireless networks. FMS differs from fixed-mobile convergence, which allows users to switch between fixed-lines and mobile networks using a single dual-mode handset and two different technologies. Currently, FMS services are widely available in Europe.     SK Telecom’s FMS service allows customers to make calls within a designated area (called “Discount Zone") under the company’s network coverage. These calls will be charged at a discount rate which is the same as fixed-line VoIP (Voice-over-Inernet Protocol) service. Currently, tariffs levied on fixed-line VoIP ...

POSCO (PKX) saw a 22.3% decline in third-quarter revenues to KRW6,851 billion from KRW8,813 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. Operating income declined 48.7% year over year, while net profit was down 6.3%.   The decline in the company’s profit was primarily driven by lower production and a drop in selling prices. The company’s global crude steel production for the quarter was down 8.5%, compared to the year-ago quarter.   Starting from the second half of 2008, global economies have been experiencing a significant slowdown and steel prices have dropped sharply. All the major mills are cutting production in an effort to stabilize prices and market.   The business environment has deteriorated so sharply that POSCO was forced to cut production in December 2008, for the first time in its history. The company is expected to cut production by approximately 2 million tons in 2009.   Back ...

South Korea’s incumbent fixed-line carrier KT Corp (KTC) is launching a single rate plan for both local and long-distance calls. The new service plan, which requires customers to sign a three-year contract, will offer long-distance calls at KRW39 (US$0.03) per three minutes, at par with the local calling rate. Moreover, legacy landline customers who subscribe to an additional Internet phone line will be exempted from the KRW 2,000 (US$1.54) basic monthly fee levied for such services.  With approximately 19.5 million fixed-line subscribers, KT Corp is South Korea ’s dominant provider of traditional telephony services including local and international long distance calling services. The company controls approximately 90% of the local phone market and 85% of the long distance market in South Korea . Fixed-line telephone services represented roughly 34% of KT Corp’s 2008 revenues.  However, KT Corp continues to experience greater than expected declines in its ...

A Seoul Central District Court ruling went against Microsoft (MSFT) on Friday. The court held that Microsoft’s bundling of the Windows Media Service with its Windows operating system amounted to unfair competition. It was felt that consumers should be allowed to make their own choice, which would, in turn, promote healthy competition among the providers.   Although the ruling went against Microsoft, the court set aside damage claims by local software company Dideonet, which initiated the proceedings. The $81 million (100 billion won) demanded by the company could not be related to actual losses made.   This seems to be following a pattern, since Microsoft was previously barred from bundling its instant messenger program, although there again, compensation was denied. It is apparent that the bundling strategy is being frowned upon, although none of the small local players have been able to cash in on it so ...

South Korea's incumbent wireless operator, SK Telecom (SKM), is set to launch T Store, the first mobile open market in Korea, on Sep 9. The upcoming on-line store will feature applications that are optimized for smartphones and other select regular handsets.

T Store will provide an open platform where content developers can sell their applications to users of mobile handsets based on the Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability (WIPI), which allows cell phones to run applications regardless of manufacturer or carrier. Customers can download from a large assortment of multimedia content (approximately 6,500 applications), including games, phone decoration, music, broadcasting/movie and language/education that are categorized under eight main menus.

Registered content developers can sell their applications against a yearly registration fee, which is expected to be waived by the company by end of 2009 to boost developers' participation. The current revenue split is 70%/30% for the developers and SK Telecom,

...

SEATTLE, WA, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Mantra Venture Group Ltd. (’Mantra’, OTCBB: MVTG, FSE: 5MV) is pleased to announce that it has been invited by the BC Ministry of Economic Development to participate in The Environment Energy Tech Trade Show (ENTECH 2009) to be held in Busan, Korea from September 16th-19th, 2009. ENTECH is Korea’s largest trade show focused on energy and environment, with over 500 booths and 34,000 visitors anticipated for this year’s event.

Over the course of the event, Mantra and seven other companies from British Columbia, Canada, will have kiosks in the BC Pavilion section of the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO). Mantra will also be participating in the BC Networking Seminar, where companies deliver 7-10 minute presentations to 50 pre-selected Korean Companies and business-matching opportunities organized by BC’s representative office in Korea.

Larry Kristof, President and CEO of Mantra, comments: ‘We are very much looking

...

State-run utility behemoth Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEP) recently reported strong results for the second quarter. The company registered net profit on account of lower fuel costs and strong Korean won. Fuel costs fell due to lower oil prices.

In the quarter, Korea Electric recorded a net profit of 240 billion won ($192.8 million) beating the consensus forecast of 461.6 billion won loss, compared with a net loss of 763.61 billion won, a year ago. Last year, the company suffered due to record escalation of feedstock costs. Korea Electric absorbed a 42% and 72% rise of LNG and coal costs, respectively, in the year-ago period.

Quarterly sales increased 7.4% year over year to 7.37 trillion won. This was boosted by higher demand coupled with two regulatory rate hikes of 4.5% and 3.9% in November 2008 and June 2009, respectively. The company registered an operating income of 233.6 billion

...