Key Takeaways Verizon has risen 9.5% YTD but trails AT&T's 27.7% and T-Mobile's 15.9% gains.New plans like Family Plus and Tracfone Freedom are boosting Verizon's customer base.Heavy spending on fiber, 5G, and promotions supports growth but pressures margins.Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) has gained 9.5% in the year-to-date period compared with the Wireless National industry’s growth of 15.9%. The stock has underperformed the Zacks Computer & Technology sector and the S&P 500 during the same time frame.Im ...

Core Insights - AT&T, Inc. has outperformed the Wireless National industry and the S&P 500, gaining 28.6% over the past year compared to the industry's 15.9% growth [1][8] - The company has also surpassed competitors like Verizon and T-Mobile, which gained 10.5% and 16.8% respectively during the same period [2][8] Fiber Expansion and Strategic Initiatives - AT&T is aggressively expanding its fiber network, with a joint venture, Gigapower, aiming to reach 1.5 million fiber locations across six states [3][4] - The company’s fiber broadband network has reached 30 million locations and is set to acquire Lumen's fiber business, which will enhance its footprint across 11 states [5] - By 2030, AT&T expects to reach approximately 50 million customer locations with its fiber network, and over 60 million when including Lumen's assets [5] 5G Connectivity and Spectrum Acquisition - Despite a mature mobile market, the demand for 5G connectivity driven by AI and IoT is increasing [6] - AT&T plans to acquire wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $23 billion, which will enhance its 5G offerings [6][8] Financial Position and Challenges - As of June 30, 2025, AT&T had $10.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents, with long-term debt increasing to $123.06 billion [10] - The company’s current ratio is 0.81 and cash ratio is 0.22, indicating potential challenges in meeting short-term obligations [10] - Despite improvements in short-term liquidity, high debt obligations remain a significant obstacle [15] Earnings Estimates and Valuation - Earnings estimates for AT&T for 2025 and 2026 have seen upward revisions over the past 60 days [11] - The company is trading at a price/earnings ratio of 13.38, which is lower than the industry average of 13.69 but above its historical mean of 12.31 [12]

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Key Takeaways Verizon's Business segment revenues slipped to $7.27B in Q2, down from $7.3B last year.High churn rates and weak public sector demand pressured Verizon's subscriber growth.In 2025, Verizon's enterprise and public sector revenues are estimated to fall 1.8% year over year.Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is affected by weakness in the Business Segment, which primarily includes the wireless and wireline operations of wholesale, public sector and other, small and medium business, and global enterp ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Wireless National industry is experiencing healthy demand trends due to accelerated 5G rollout and increased fiber densification, which aids in bridging the digital divide with seamless connectivity [1] - The industry primarily includes firms providing a wide range of communication services, including wireless, wireline, broadband, and cloud-based services to both retail consumers and businesses [3] Future Trends - The 5G ecosystem is gaining traction as companies deploy advanced 4G LTE technologies and expand fiber optic networks to support both 4G and 5G standards, enhancing coverage and speed for customers [4] - Industry participants are shifting towards a software-centric network model to improve operational efficiencies and meet increasing business demands [6] Competitive Landscape - Increased infrastructure spending has led to short-term margin erosion due to aggressive promotional expenses and low-priced service plans aimed at customer retention [5] - The industry faces challenges from over-the-top service providers and price-sensitive competition, which is expected to intensify [5] Performance Metrics - The Zacks Wireless National industry has outperformed the S&P 500 and the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector over the past year, with a growth of 22.4% compared to 15.9% for the S&P 500 and 21.4% for the sector [9] - The industry is currently trading at a trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA of 9.5X, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 17.77X and the sector's 17.81X [12] Key Companies - Array Digital Infrastructure, Inc. is benefiting from solid user engagement in its fixed wireless business and has delivered an earnings surprise of 40% on average over the trailing four quarters, carrying a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [15] - Liberty Latin America Ltd. is positioned to leverage its end-to-end communications platform and upgraded infrastructure, carrying a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [18] - Cambium Networks Corporation is well-positioned with a broad portfolio of fixed wireless broadband solutions and has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 20%, also carrying a Zacks Rank 3 [20]

Core Viewpoint - AT&T has been gaining attention in the stock market, with a recent performance of +5.4% over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500 composite's +3.1% and the Zacks Wireless National industry's +5.7% [1] Earnings Estimate Revisions - The consensus earnings estimate for AT&T for the current quarter is $0.54 per share, reflecting a -10% change year-over-year, with the estimate remaining unchanged over the last 30 days [4] - For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate is $2.04, indicating a -9.7% year-over-year change, with a slight increase of +0.8% over the last month [4] - The next fiscal year's consensus earnings estimate is $2.24, showing a +9.8% change from the previous year, with a minor decrease of -0.1% over the past month [5] Revenue Growth Forecast - The consensus sales estimate for AT&T for the current quarter is $30.93 billion, indicating a +2.4% year-over-year change [10] - For the current fiscal year, the sales estimate is $124.87 billion, reflecting a +2.1% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate is $126.55 billion, indicating a +1.4% change [10] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - In the last reported quarter, AT&T's revenues were $30.85 billion, representing a +3.5% year-over-year change, with an EPS of $0.54 compared to $0.57 a year ago [11] - The reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $30.53 billion by +1.02%, and the EPS surprise was +5.88% [11] - Over the last four quarters, AT&T surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times and topped consensus revenue estimates three times [12] Valuation - AT&T is graded B on the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a discount to its peers [16]

Financial Performance - U.S. Cellular reported quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.33 per share, and up from $0.20 per share a year ago [1] - The earnings surprise was +9.09%, while the previous quarter saw a surprise of -43.24% with actual earnings of $0.21 per share against an expectation of $0.37 [2] - The company posted revenues of $916 million for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.31%, but down from $927 million year-over-year [3] Market Performance - U.S. Cellular shares have increased approximately 18.4% since the beginning of the year, compared to an 8.6% gain for the S&P 500 [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [7] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.31 on revenues of $899.42 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.61 on revenues of $3.64 billion [8] - The Wireless National industry is ranked in the top 41% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [9]

Company Performance - Cogent Communications reported a quarterly loss of $1.21 per share, which was worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.93, and compared to a loss of $0.75 per share a year ago, indicating a significant decline in performance [1] - The company posted revenues of $246.25 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.28%, but down from $260.44 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Cogent has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2] Stock Movement and Outlook - Cogent shares have lost approximately 43.1% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.9% [3] - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for determining future stock movements, with current consensus EPS estimates at -$0.79 for the coming quarter and -$3.51 for the current fiscal year [4][7] - The estimate revisions trend for Cogent was favorable ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) for the stock, suggesting it is expected to outperform the market in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Wireless National industry, to which Cogent belongs, is currently in the top 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable industry outlook [8] - Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact Cogent's performance [5]

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Key Takeaways T has outpaced peers and benchmarks with a 46.8% stock gain over the past year.T is streamlining its portfolio with fiber expansion, 5G investment, and non-core asset divestitures.T faces headwinds from rival expansions and a decline in Business Wireline revenue.AT&T, Inc. (T) has gained 46.8% over the past year compared with the Wireless National industry’s growth of 24%. The stock has also outperformed the Zacks Computer & Technology sector and the S&P 500’s growth of 29.8% and 20.9%, respec ...