Big 3 Telecom Wars: 2 Solid Showings, 1 Huge Winner in Q2

Core Insights - The telecommunications industry in the United States is dominated by three major players: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, collectively known as the "Big Three" [1] AT&T - AT&T reported Q2 financials on July 23, beating sales estimates by over $400 million and surpassing adjusted EPS forecasts by 1 cent, resulting in a share price increase of over 1% [1][4] - The company added 401,000 net postpaid cell phone subscribers, a 4% decrease from the previous year but better than expected [2] - AT&T's broadband business added approximately 243,000 fiber optic customers and 203,000 AT&T Internet Air customers, with fiber revenues growing by nearly 19% [2] - The percentage of "converged customers" increased to just under 41%, indicating progress in cross-selling services [3] - AT&T anticipates $6.5 billion to $8 billion in cash tax savings through 2027 due to the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) [4] Verizon - Verizon posted Q2 results on July 21, beating expectations on revenue and adjusted EPS, and slightly raised its full-year guidance [6] - Shares closed up 4% following the results, but the company experienced a net loss of 9,000 postpaid cell phone customers, contrary to Wall Street expectations [7] - Verizon's broadband business added 293,000 net customers, down from 391,000 a year ago, indicating a solid quarter despite the postpaid losses [8] T-Mobile - T-Mobile reported Q2 results on July 23, slightly beating sales growth estimates and achieving a 14% increase in adjusted EPS to $2.84, surpassing the anticipated 8% rise [10] - The company added 830,000 net postpaid cell phone customers, marking a record for Q2, and achieved a total of 1.7 million net postpaid adds, another Q2 record [12] - T-Mobile's revenue per account (ARPA) increased by 5%, the highest growth rate in eight years, and it expects $1.5 billion in OBBB-related cash tax benefits in 2026 [13] - Overall, T-Mobile had the strongest performance among the three companies, leading to a price target increase from Morgan Stanley from $265 to $285, implying a 17% upside [15]