Skip to content

SKM

NYSE
Weak · 17/100

SK Telecom Co Ltd

Communication Services
Telecommunication

$32.02

1.9%

Updated Today 3:42 PM ET

Report Card

SKM at a glance — five pillars scored 0–100 from real filed financials.

Value
0
Growth
0
Profitability
0
Health
0
Dividends
0

Overall: Weak · 17/100. A wider, greener shape means more pillars look healthy. Dividends scores 0 when a company pays none — that is a choice, not a flaw.

Price — Past Year

▲ Up 35.2% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageSource: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$13.68B

P/E

48.45x

Forward P/E (est.)

69.22x

ROE

2.9%

Revenue Growth

-4.9%

EPS Growth

-71.0%

Profit Margin

2.1%

FCF Yield

Debt / Equity

0.81x

ROIC

11.0%

Interest Coverage

4.19x

Current Ratio

0.81x

Dividend Yield

1.9%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

-4.6%

Rating Score

17/100

Business Overview
Research

SK Telecom Co Ltd (SKM) is a large-cap company in the Telecommunication industry, part of the Communication Services sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $13.68B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $13.46B in revenue and $937.62M in net profit.

Our model rates SKM Weak (17/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Economic Moat

Evidence of durable competitive advantage in the filed financials (9 years of history).

Narrow moat signalsMoat evidence score: 53/100

Some durable-advantage evidence, but not across the board — dig into which ingredient is weak and whether it's cyclical or structural.

Operating margin level6/100

9.5% average over the last 3 years

Operating margin stability80/100

±1.6 pts around 7.7% across 9 years

Revenue durability64/100

grew in 6 of the last 8 year-over-year periods

Free-cash-flow consistency100/100

positive in 9 of 9 years

Return on invested capital30/100

11.0% latest fiscal year

A moat can't be proven by numbers alone — this scores the evidence a durable advantage leaves behind (pricing power, consistency, returns on capital), computed the same way for every stock. Pair it with the business overview before concluding anything.

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what SKM's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. SKM trades near $32.02, around its 50-day average ($37.25) and 200-day average ($28.02). Price tangled in its moving averages means there is no clear trend — the stock is ranging.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 14 it is oversold — selling has been heavy and a bounce is possible.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. SKM's is $1.45 (~4.5% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month SKM found buyers near $30.90 (support) and sellers near $41.38 (resistance); its 52-week range is $19.66–$47.18. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 0.4× the 20-day average — lighter than usual, so the move carries less conviction. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

2.8%

0/4 checks passedRevenue growingRevenue growth beats sector midpointEPS growingEPS growing faster than revenue

Revenue moved from $12.82B in 2016 to $13.46B in 2024, a 0.6% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year declined 4.9% year over year. Shrinking revenue is worth a closer look — is it cyclical or structural?

Profitability
Research
2/4 checks passedProfitableNet margin above sector midpointROE above 12%ROIC above 10%

Gross Margin

96.3%

Operating Margin

9.4%

Net Margin

7.0%

ROE

2.9%

SK Telecom Co Ltd keeps about 2.1% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 96.3% gross margin and 9.4% operating margin. Return on equity is 2.9% and return on invested capital about 11.0%. Thin margins leave less cushion if costs rise.

Debt Analysis
Research
3/4 checks passedDebt under 1× equityDebt under 2× equityInterest covered 3×+Short-term bills covered

Total Debt

$228.75K

Net Debt

-$1.52B

Net cash position

Net Debt / EBITDA

-1.2x

Debt / Equity

0.81x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.8x, and operating profit covers interest about 4.2x, with a current ratio of 0.8x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $228.75K of total debt against $1.52B of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research
1/1 checks passedMarket expects achievable growth (<8%)

Operating CF

$3.82B

Free Cash Flow

$1.95B

FCF Margin

14.5%

In the latest year SK Telecom Co Ltd produced about $3.82B of operating cash flow and $1.95B of free cash flow after capital spending. Cash flow is what ultimately pays shareholders, so it is worth tracking over time.

Dividend Safety

Can the payout survive a bad year? Scored from filed cash flow, earnings coverage, and the raise/cut record.

BorderlineSafety score: 50/100

The dividend is being paid, but coverage or consistency is thinner than an income investor should rely on without a closer look.

Dividend yield

1.9%

Per share (latest FY)

$3540.00

Total paid (latest FY)

$603.24M

History on record

9 years

Free-cash-flow coverage100/100

dividend uses 31% of free cash flow

Earnings payout ratio56/100

64% of net income paid out

Raise streak13/100

total dividends increased 1 year in a row

Cut history0/100

payout was cut at least once in the last 9 years

Coverage uses the latest fiscal year as filed with the SEC; the streak counts total dollars paid (per-share figures can carry split artifacts). Educational information, not income advice.

Valuation Analysis
Research
2/4 checks passedPositive earnings (P/E meaningful)P/E below sector's upper bandForward P/E below trailing (earnings growing)Trading below DCF fair value

P/E

48.45x

P/S

1.07x

P/B

0.85x

EV / EBITDA

3.09x

SKM trades at 48.5x trailing earnings (about 69.2x on estimated forward earnings), 1.1x sales, and 0.9x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly -4.6% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a rich multiple that prices in a lot of future growth.

DCF Fair Value (Educational)

A two-stage discounted cash flow on real SEC-filed free cash flow — the intrinsic-value anchor professional analysts triangulate from.

DCF fair value / share

$94.39

Current price

$32.02

+195% · Below fair-value estimate

Starting FCF (latest 10-K)

$1.95B

Growth, years 1–5

-4.9%

Fade to terminal, years 6–10

2.5%

Discount rate

9.0%

PV of 10-yr free cash flow$10.25B
PV of terminal value$9.85B
Estimated equity value$20.10B
Shares outstanding213M

Cash flows grow at the stage-1 rate (trailing revenue growth, capped at 20%) for five years, fade to 2.5% by year 10, and continue at that rate forever (Gordon terminal value), all discounted at 9.0%. Small changes in assumptions move the result a lot — treat this as one reference point, not a target price. Educational only, not investment advice.

Metrics vs. Sector Range

Where SKM sits versus its Communication Services sector peers in the S&P 500.

TTM P/E
48.5xExpensive
Forward P/E
69.2xExpensive
P/S ratio
1.1xCheap
Revenue growth
-4.9%Weak
EPS growth
-71.0%Weak
Gross margin
96.3%Strong
Net margin
2.1%Weak
ROE
2.9%Weak

Bands show the middle half (25th–75th percentile) of the 44 Communication Services companies in the S&P 500 — the peer-relative anchor professional comps analysis uses. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How SKM stacks up against its Communication Services peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Communication Services sector (95 S&P 500 companies), SKM ranks #42 of 95 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (48.5x P/E vs. 18.1x median) with a lower return on equity (2.9% vs. 14.9%) and slower revenue growth (-4.9% vs. 5.3%).

P/E vs sector

48.5x

median 18.1x

ROE vs sector

2.9%

median 14.9%

Growth vs sector

-4.9%

median 5.3%

Sector rank

#42

of 95 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
SKMThis stock48.5x-4.9%Weak· 17
TLK14.8x-1.3%Neutral· 42
TU24.5x0.1%Weak· 34
TIMB12.5x5.0%Favorable· 67
RCI3.5x7.4%Strong· 72
BCE4.4x1.6%Favorable· 67
VIV17.6x7.0%Neutral· 49
VOD7.8%Weak· 30
Communication Services median18.1x5.3%0/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianTLKTUTIMBRCIBCEVIVSKMP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Communication Services companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 95 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$0.00 $0.00

vs. $32.02 today · expected CAGR 18%31%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$13.86B$14.27B$14.70B$15.14B$15.60B
Net income$970.14M$999.24M$1.03B$1.06B$1.09B
EPS$2.27$2.34$2.41$2.48$2.56
Share price (low)$65.86$67.84$69.87$71.97$74.13
Share price (high)$109.01$112.28$115.65$119.12$122.69
CAGR (low–high)106% / 240%46% / 87%30% / 53%22% / 39%18% / 31%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for SKM:

  • As an established S&P 500 member in Communication Services, it brings scale and a long operating history.
Bear Case

The case against SKM:

  • Revenue growth is slow/negative (-4.9%), limiting the upside engine.
  • Thin net margins (2.1%) leave little room for error.
  • A rich 48.5x earnings multiple prices in a lot of growth.
  • Our model's overall read is Weak (17/100).
Key Risks
Research

Valuation risk — at 48.5x earnings, disappointing results could compress the multiple.

Growth risk — sluggish revenue (-4.9%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.

Margin risk — thin profitability (2.1%) is vulnerable to cost or pricing pressure.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the fundamentals screen weakly: SK Telecom Co Ltd is a large-cap communication services business with shrinking revenue, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 48.5x earnings, which our model scores Weak (17/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Analyst Ratings

What 29 Wall Street analysts covering SKM recommend (July 2026). Consensus is a useful sanity check — not a substitute for your own homework.

Buy
consensus · score 3.6 / 5 across 29 analysts
Strong Buy 6Buy 10Hold 9Sell 4Strong Sell 0

Analysts have turned more positive over the last three months (+5 pts of buy ratings).

Latest SEC Filings

SKM's most recent filings, straight from SEC EDGAR. Annual and quarterly reports are the deep dives; 8-Ks flag material events the moment they happen.

SKM — frequently asked questions

Is SKM a good stock to buy?

We don't give buy or sell advice. Our model rates SK Telecom Co Ltd Weak (17/100) based on its growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation — use that as a research starting point and make your own decision.

What is SKM's rating on The Stocks School?

SK Telecom Co Ltd currently scores 17/100 (Weak) on our transparent model, which weighs real fundamentals: growth, margins, returns on capital, balance-sheet strength, and valuation.

How our ratings work
Where does SKM's data come from?

Live price data plus real fundamentals and 5-year financials pulled directly from SK Telecom Co Ltd's SEC filings — refreshed automatically, not hand-entered.

How is the 5-year projection for SKM calculated?

It's a scenario model: it grows revenue at an assumed rate, applies a profit margin and a valuation multiple, and shows the resulting share-price range. The assumptions are yours to change — it's a tool for thinking, not a prediction.

Is this SKM analysis financial advice?

No. Everything on this page is educational research, not financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell SKM. Always do your own research and consider a licensed professional.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.