AT&T Inc (NYSE:T, ETR:SOBA) shares moved higher as the telecommunications giant's third quarter earnings impressed, driven by growth in mobility service and broadband revenue. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.60 beat estimates of $0.59.
On the surface, AT&T Inc. reported a mixed quarter, with a slight miss on revenue and a marginal beat on earnings. The quarter, however, showed some operational progress being made, and this is likely to support the share price in the near term. Long-term investors, however, should not get carried away by the current optimism around the stock as more progress is needed.
U.S. stocks traded lower midway through trading, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 1% on Wednesday.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T ) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call October 23, 2024 8:30 AM ET Company Participants Brett Feldman - SVP, Finance & IR John Stankey - CEO Pascal Desroches - CFO Conference Call Participants Simon Flannery - Morgan Stanley John Hodulik - UBS Peter Supino - Wolf Research David Barden - Bank of America Michael Rollins - Citi James Schneider - Goldman Sachs Sebastiano Petti - JPMorgan Kannan Venkateshwar - Barclays Operator Thank you for standing by. Welcome to AT&T's Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Call.
AT&T Inc.'s Q3 revenue missed expectations, but strong cash flow and subscriber growth, especially in fiber and postpaid, were positive highlights. Operating expenses were lower than expected, leading to an EPS beat at $0.60 per share, surpassing our $0.57-$0.59 estimate. Despite a revenue shortfall, free cash flow was robust, covering dividends comfortably, with a payout ratio of just 41.2%.
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for AT&T (T) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended September 2024, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
Another day, another packed slate of corporate reports.
Backed by strong subscriber growth with 5G and fiber focus, AT&T beats third-quarter 2024 earnings estimates.
Verizon and AT&T, major internet and cellular providers, are compared for yield and total return, with AT&T leading in year-to-date performance amongst my comparative measures. Both companies are considered fixed income proxies, akin to utilities, with potential rate sensitivity that could be intensified or muted depending on the US President's new administration. Verizon wins in dividend comparisons and short-term reflexive patterns, while AT&T excels in free cash flow payout ratio, earnings expectations, and valuation.
AT&T (T) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.60 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.59 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.64 per share a year ago.
AT&T took a $4.4 billion goodwill impairment charge related to its business-wireline unit, which is under pressure as business customers cut back on legacy voice services.
AT&T gained more wireless subscribers than expected in the third quarter, driven by the steady adoption of its higher-tier unlimited plans that come with perks including increased hotspot data.