Core Viewpoint - Bank of America has resumed coverage of the three major U.S. telecom operators—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile US—highlighting their unique business strategies and potential advantages in the market, particularly in relation to the AI boom [1] Group 1: Company Ratings and Target Prices - AT&T has been rated as "Buy" with a target price of $32, reflecting its balanced strategy and strong operational momentum [2] - Verizon has been rated as "Neutral" with a target price of $45, indicating a solid user base but facing short-term competitive pressures [3] - T-Mobile US has also been rated as "Neutral" with a target price of $255, showcasing strong execution in user growth but potential risks from increased competition [4] Group 2: Business Strategies - AT&T focuses on a "wireless + fiber dual engine" strategy, leveraging fiber and 5G to enhance bandwidth capabilities in the AI data surge era [2] - Verizon emphasizes "Premium Network" and private 5G, with aggressive C-band and millimeter-wave deployments to ensure network quality [2] - T-Mobile US targets "user growth + network efficiency," utilizing a combination of 600MHz and 2.5GHz to gain spectrum advantages [2] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - AT&T's fiber business is seen as a key long-term growth driver, positioning the company favorably in a competitive environment [3] - Verizon's strategy includes maintaining network quality and cautious promotional spending, which may resonate with investors in the long term despite short-term challenges [3] - T-Mobile's growth model heavily relies on user acquisition, making it vulnerable to intensified competition from cable operators entering the wireless market [4]

Core Insights - AT&T Inc. is focusing on fiber densification and expanding 5G capacity, driven by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which unlocks significant mid- and low-band spectrum for rural and suburban areas [1][7] - The company plans to invest in next-generation networks, aiming to deploy fiber to an additional 1 million locations annually starting in 2026, targeting underserved rural communities [2][7] - An integrated fiber expansion strategy is expected to enhance broadband connectivity for both enterprise and consumer markets, with 5G+ services being deployed in various venues [3][7] Company Strategy - AT&T aims to capitalize on broadband demand through continuous infrastructure investments and centralized control, supported by enhanced tax incentives and a renewed spectrum policy [2] - The company plans to deploy 5G+ services in stadiums, retail stores, and airports, while also providing secure 5G facilities for the FirstNet network [3][7] Industry Context - Other telecom carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile are also focusing on fiber expansion, with Verizon enhancing its fiber-optic networks and T-Mobile targeting 12-15 million fiber customers by 2030 [4][5] - Verizon's acquisition of Frontier Communications has accelerated its fiber Internet services, while T-Mobile has launched various fiber service plans with competitive features [4][5] Financial Performance - AT&T's stock has surged 50.8% over the past year, outperforming the industry's growth of 26.7% [6] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 1.63, which is below the industry average [9]

Core Insights - AT&T has completed the divestiture of its remaining 70% stake in DIRECTV, allowing the company to focus on its core business and reduce debt [1][3][7] Group 1: Company Strategy and Financials - The divestiture of DIRECTV is a strategic move for AT&T, enabling the company to concentrate on its primary growth areas, particularly 5G wireless and fiber network expansion [3][7] - AT&T has received $19 billion from previous TPG distributions and is set to receive an additional $7.6 billion by 2029, which will help lower its debt burden and improve liquidity [3][7] - The company's shares currently trade at a price/book ratio of 13.27 forward earnings, which is lower than the industry average of 13.53 but above its historical mean of 10.67 [8] Group 2: Industry Context and Competition - AT&T's venture into the media business, including the acquisition of DIRECTV and WarnerMedia, faced challenges due to declining subscriptions and competition from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon [2][5] - The competitive landscape includes major players like Charter Communications and Comcast, both of which are investing in expanding their network infrastructure and facing similar challenges in retaining cable TV subscribers [4][5] Group 3: Performance Metrics - Over the past year, AT&T's stock has gained 51.8%, outperforming the Wireless National industry's growth of 26.7% [6] - Earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have remained unchanged over the past 60 days, indicating stability in the company's financial outlook [9]

Core Viewpoint - AT&T plans to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network following the passage of the "Big and Beautiful Act," which will drive the deployment of fiber to 1 million locations annually starting in 2026 [1] Group 1 - The "Big and Beautiful Act" is expected to significantly enhance fiber deployment efforts by AT&T [1] - The initiative aims to reach 1 million locations each year, indicating a substantial increase in infrastructure investment [1]

Core Insights - The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will enable AT&T to accelerate fiber infrastructure deployment, adding 1 million fiber customer locations annually starting in 2026 [1][2] - The legislation aims to enhance U.S. leadership in innovation and create economic opportunities nationwide [2] - The bill includes provisions for midband spectrum, addressing consumer demand and maintaining technological competitiveness [3] Company Impact - AT&T anticipates a significant increase in investment in next-generation networks due to the new policies, which will facilitate faster infrastructure builds [2][3] - The company plans to provide an update on the financial impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during its second quarter results announcement on July 23, 2025 [5] Legislative Support - Key political figures, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, played a crucial role in establishing the spectrum pipeline and renewing FCC auction authority [4] - The bill is seen as a strategic move to restore America's global lead in wireless technology through effective policy [3]

Core Viewpoint - The tech sector offers attractive dividend opportunities, with IBM and AT&T being prime examples of companies that have delivered solid dividends and impressive gains for investors over recent years [1]. Group 1: IBM - IBM's shares have more than doubled in the past three years due to a successful turnaround, driven by its focus on hybrid cloud computing and artificial intelligence [3]. - The company anticipates at least 5% growth in currency-adjusted revenue for 2025, alongside projected free cash flow of approximately $13.5 billion [3]. - IBM has secured $6 billion in generative AI-related bookings, leveraging its watsonx platform and consulting services to address enterprise needs [4]. - The latest dividend increase was minimal, raising the quarterly dividend to $1.68 per share, resulting in a yield of around 2.3% [5]. - With rising free cash flow, IBM's dividend is expected to consume less than half of its free cash flow in 2025, allowing for potential debt reduction and future dividend hikes [6]. Group 2: AT&T - AT&T's shares have surged about 110% since mid-2023, as investor sentiment has improved following previous challenges related to media acquisitions [7]. - The company is concentrating on expanding its 5G wireless and fiber networks, having recently reached its 30 millionth fiber location and planning to double this by 2030 [8]. - For 2025, AT&T projects a 3% growth in mobility service revenue and a mid-teens percentage increase in consumer fiber revenue, with free cash flow expected to exceed $16 billion [9]. - The current quarterly dividend stands at $0.2775 per share, yielding 3.8%, with approximately $8 billion allocated for dividends this year, representing about half of its free cash flow [10]. - AT&T has maintained its dividend payments since cutting them during the WarnerMedia spin-off, but plans to resume share repurchases and may consider a dividend increase soon [11].

Group 1 - AT&T has completed the sale of its entire remaining 70% stake in DIRECTV to TPG Capital [1] - The transaction marks a significant divestiture for AT&T, focusing on its core business operations [1] - TPG Capital is a prominent private equity platform operating in the U.S. and Europe [1] Group 2 - AT&T serves over 100 million U.S. families and nearly 2.5 million businesses, providing connectivity solutions [2] - The company has a long history of innovation, dating back over 140 years, and currently offers 5G wireless and multi-gig internet services [2] - For more information about AT&T, stakeholders can visit the company's investor relations website [2]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on AT&T (T), and highlights the potential misalignment of interests between brokerage analysts and retail investors [1][10]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations for AT&T - AT&T has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.71, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on 29 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 29 recommendations, 18 are Strong Buy and 3 are Buy, which represent 62.1% and 10.3% of all recommendations respectively [2]. Group 2: Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Studies indicate that brokerage recommendations have limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the highest price increase potential [5]. - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, often issuing five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][10]. - The interests of brokerage firms may not align with those of retail investors, leading to misleading recommendations [7][10]. Group 3: Zacks Rank as an Alternative - Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, providing a more effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is distinct from ABR, as it is based on quantitative models and is updated more frequently to reflect changing business trends [9][12]. - For AT&T, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year remains unchanged at $2.03, leading to a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [13][14].

Core Viewpoint - The public criticism of AT&T by President Trump highlights the political pressures faced by major companies, particularly in the telecommunications sector, and the potential impact on AT&T's reputation among Trump's supporters [4]. Group 1: Incident Overview - AT&T faced backlash from President Trump due to long wait times during the Faith Leaders Conference Call, with Trump stating that AT&T is "totally unable to make their equipment work properly" [1][2]. - Trump suggested that AT&T should improve its service and mentioned the possibility of rescheduling the call with a different carrier, indicating dissatisfaction with AT&T's performance [2]. Group 2: Company Response - AT&T responded by claiming that the disruption was due to an issue with the conference call platform rather than their network, and they are working to understand the problem better [3]. Group 3: Market Implications - The incident may not have an immediate financial impact on AT&T, but it could damage the company's reputation among Trump's supporters, especially in light of Trump's ongoing public criticisms of various companies [4]. - AT&T's stock was trading at $28.84, having reached a 52-week high of $29.19 earlier in the session, and is up 26.3% year-to-date in 2025 [6]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Trump's criticism of AT&T coincides with the planned launch of Trump Mobile, a new competitor in the telecommunications market, which may further challenge AT&T's market position [5]. - Trump Mobile will offer various plans, including "The 47 Plan" priced at $47.45 per month, and will utilize the T-Mobile network [5][6].

Market Capitalization Summary - Oracle has a market capitalization of 806.88 billion, while Visa stands at 655.99 billion [2] - Procter & Gamble has a market capitalization of 378.02 billion, and ExxonMobil is at 512.70 billion [2] - Mastercard's market capitalization is 470.87 billion, and Bank of America is at 375.11 billion [2] - UnitedHealth has a market capitalization of 308.53 billion, while ASML is at 310.77 billion [2] - Coca-Cola's market capitalization is 295.75 billion, and T-Mobile US Inc is at 273.60 billion [2] Stock Performance - Oracle's stock increased by 0.46 (+0.47%), while Visa's rose by 0.47 (+0.13%) [2] - Procter & Gamble's stock saw a slight increase of 2.68 (+0.48%), while ExxonMobil's stock increased by 1.92 (+1.20%) [2] - Mastercard's stock increased by 1.46 (+1.35%), and Bank of America's stock rose by 3.15 (+2.06%) [2] - UnitedHealth's stock decreased by 11.21 (-1.40%), while ASML's stock increased by 0.93 (+1.31%) [2] - Coca-Cola's stock increased by 14.05 (+4.50%), and T-Mobile US Inc's stock rose by 3.31 (+1.39%) [2] Additional Company Insights - McDonald's has a market capitalization of 212.78 billion, while AT&T is at 207.73 billion [3] - Uber's market capitalization is 192.79 billion, and Verizon's is at 184.08 billion [3] - Caterpillar's market capitalization is 183.87 billion, while Qualcomm is at 174.99 billion [3] - BlackRock has a market capitalization of 163.25 billion, and Citigroup is at 161.13 billion [3] - Boeing's market capitalization is 158.16 billion, while Pfizer is at 142.36 billion [3] Recent Market Movements - Intel's stock increased by 0.45 (+1.99%), while Dell Technologies rose by 0.82 (+0.16%) [4] - Rio Tinto's market capitalization is 746.07 billion, and Newmont is at 654.78 billion [4] - General Motors has a market capitalization of 494.87 billion, while Target is at 472.00 billion [4] - Ford's market capitalization is 451.14 billion, and Valero Energy is at 432.26 billion [4] - Vodafone's market capitalization is 241.45 billion, while Pinterest is at 270.30 billion [5]