Why Telstra shares could be a top ASX buy for the new financial year

The appeal is simple: essential services, network scale, and a dividend profile that has become easier to understand.

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Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) is not the kind of ASX share that usually gets investors excited.

Some businesses are built around disruption, new products, and big swings in expectations. Telstra is built around something more basic: keeping people connected. For investors heading into the new financial year, I think that simplicity could be attractive.

Two male ASX investors and executives wearing dark coloured suits sit at a table holding their mobile phones discussing the highest trading ASX 200 shares today

Image source: Getty Images

More than a phone company

Telstra's core strength is that its services sit inside everyday life.

Mobile connectivity now touches almost everything. People use it for banking, work, maps, security, entertainment, shopping, travel, messaging, and managing households. Businesses use it to process payments, communicate with customers, support staff, connect devices, and keep operations moving.

That gives Telstra a level of relevance that is easy to take for granted.

I also think the mobile network remains the company's strongest advantage. Network quality can still influence customer decisions, especially outside major city centres or among users who rely heavily on their phones. Telstra has spent years building scale, coverage, and brand trust in this part of the market.

That does not make the business exciting in a fast-growth sense. But it does give Telstra a role that can remain valuable through different economic conditions.

Income with a steadier profile

Another attraction is income. Telstra has become a cleaner dividend story over recent years, and I think that can make it useful for investors who want dependable cash flow without taking on the same level of cyclicality as miners or discretionary retailers.

The company is still exposed to competition, regulation, capital spending, and customer price sensitivity. But telecommunications is a service people usually keep paying for, even when household budgets are stretched.

That resilience can be useful in an income portfolio.

Why I'd consider buying

For me, the investment case comes down to usefulness.

Telstra does not need to reinvent daily life to be valuable. It needs to keep providing the infrastructure and services that daily life increasingly relies on.

There is also something attractive about owning a business that can quietly compound through pricing discipline, customer retention, network leadership, and disciplined investment.

There are risks to consider. Mobile competition can increase quickly, and capital expenditure is part of the industry. But I think Telstra's scale gives it a strong starting point.

Foolish takeaway

Telstra will rarely be the loudest growth story on the ASX.

Yet I think it can still be a worthwhile share to own heading into FY27. The business sits inside a service people use constantly, has a leading mobile position, and offers a dividend profile that many investors may find appealing.

In a market where some shares need a lot to go right, Telstra's appeal is much simpler. It provides something essential, keeps investing in its network, and gives shareholders exposure to a steady stream of cash flow. That can be more powerful than it first sounds.

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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