Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is included among the Goldman Sachs Dividend Stocks: Top 14 Stock Picks. Comcast (CMCSA) Faces Downgrade from BNP Paribas as Fiber Headwinds Grow Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com On February 24, BNP Paribas analyst Sam McHugh downgraded Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) to Underperform from Neutral. He also lowered the price target to $27 from $28. The analyst said Comcast looks “most exposed” to incremental fiber headwinds. He added that the firm’s fiber research ha ...

Core Viewpoint - Comcast has demonstrated strong financial performance with consistent dividend growth, making it an attractive option for dividend investors despite challenges in the broadband sector [2][5]. Dividend Performance - Comcast recently paid a dividend of $0.33 per share in January 2026, marking the eighteenth consecutive year of dividend growth [2][5]. - The current dividend yield stands at 4.09%, with a conservative payout ratio of 24.49%, indicating sustainability in dividend payments [3][5]. Financial Metrics - Comcast achieved a record free cash flow of $21.9 billion in 2025, reflecting a 41.3% year-over-year increase [5][7]. - The free cash flow provides a coverage ratio of 4.48x for the $4.9 billion paid out in dividends, significantly above the typical safe threshold of 2.0x [7][8]. Growth and Strategy - The company has increased its quarterly dividend from $0.1575 in 2017 to $0.33 in 2026, representing a 109% increase over nine years, or approximately 8.5% compounded annually [9]. - CFO Jason Armstrong highlighted the company's commitment to investing in growth, maintaining a strong balance sheet, and returning capital to shareholders during the Q4 2025 earnings call [9]. Market Position - Comcast's dividend metrics received an overall grade of A, with Wall Street consensus ratings indicating a current price of $32.40 and a price target of $33.06, suggesting a potential upside of 2% [4][6]. - The company’s wireless revenue surged by 18%, adding 1.5 million lines, while broadband experienced a loss of 181,000 subscribers in Q4 [5].

Core Insights - Verizon's new CEO Daniel Schulman announced a strategic shift towards a customer-focused approach to address the loss of wireless customers, resulting in the highest quarterly net subscriber additions since 2019 [1][9]. Subscriber Growth - In the latest quarter, Verizon added 1 million net subscribers, including 616,000 postpaid phone subscribers and 372,000 broadband net additions, which comprised 319,000 fixed wireless subscribers and 67,000 Fios households [5]. - Consumer revenue increased by 3.2% year over year to $28.14 billion, while service revenue rose by 0.9% [6]. Financial Performance - Overall revenue grew by 2% year over year to $36.4 billion, with service revenue slightly up by 0.1% to $28.2 billion and wireless equipment revenue increasing by 9.1% to $8.2 billion [5]. - Adjusted EPS decreased by 0.9% to $1.09, and EBITDA fell by 0.6% to $11.9 billion [6]. Future Projections - Verizon anticipates adding between 750,000 to 1 million postpaid phone subscribers in 2026, with mobility and broadband service revenue expected to rise by 2% to 3% [7]. - Adjusted EPS is projected to increase by 4% to 5%, reaching between $4.90 and $4.95 [7]. Shareholder Returns - The company announced a $25 billion buyback plan to be executed over the next three years, supported by a projected 7% increase in free cash flow to $21.5 billion [8]. - Verizon's dividend is considered secure, well-covered by free cash flow, and the buyback is expected to support its stock price [10]. Competitive Positioning - Verizon aims to stop the trend of losing customers to competitors, with impressive net additions in Q4 and opportunities for cross-selling and bundling following the acquisition of Frontier Communications [9]. - The stock trades at a forward P/E ratio of 9.2 based on 2026 earnings estimates, compared to 11.3 for AT&T, with a forward yield of 6.5%, making it an attractive dividend stock [10].

Core Insights - Verizon Communications reported its strongest subscriber gains in years, leading to a significant increase in stock price by over 11% [1][2]. Subscriber Growth - In the fourth quarter, Verizon achieved its highest quarterly net customer additions since 2019, gaining 616,000 postpaid phone subscribers and 372,000 broadband subscribers [2]. Competitive Strategy - New CEO Dan Schulman aims to strengthen Verizon's market position, stating that the company will no longer be an easy target for competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile [3]. Financial Performance - Verizon's total operating revenue for the fourth quarter rose by 2% year over year to $36.4 billion, while adjusted earnings per share slightly declined by less than 1% to $1.09, surpassing Wall Street's expectations of $1.06 [5]. Future Outlook - The company generated $20.1 billion in free cash flow in 2025, with management projecting a growth of approximately 7% to at least $21.5 billion in 2026, supported by anticipated retail postpaid phone net additions of 750,000 to 1 million [6].

Core View - Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi maintains a Neutral/Sector Perform rating on Comcast Corp, noting that the fourth-quarter results met expectations but did not indicate a clear turnaround [1] Broadband Competition - Intense competition from fiber providers and fixed wireless access is pressuring Comcast's broadband average revenue per user (ARPU) and EBITDA [2] - The company's strategy to avoid price hikes and focus on lower-priced plans is negatively impacting broadband ARPU, a trend expected to worsen before improvement [2][3] Subscriber Trends - Comcast lost 181,000 broadband subscribers in the quarter, a decline steeper than the previous year, as it shifts to a simplified pricing model that includes a free wireless line and a five-year price guarantee [3] - While this strategy has reduced voluntary churn and increased adoption of higher speeds, it has also led to increased financial strain [4] Financial Performance - Broadband ARPU growth was modest at 1% year-over-year, contributing to a 4% year-over-year drop in Connectivity & Platforms EBITDA due to higher customer experience investments and marketing costs [4] Future Outlook - Yaghi forecasts that ARPU may turn negative and EBITDA pressure will peak around the second quarter of 2026, as Comcast continues to avoid price increases and expand free wireless offers [5] - A potential recovery is anticipated in the second half of 2026, coinciding with the transition from the new pricing model and the conversion of free wireless lines into paying customers [5] Content and Parks Performance - EBITDA in Studios and Media negatively impacted results, facing tough year-over-year comparisons and increased marketing spending, while Media EBITDA declined due to costs associated with newly acquired NBA rights [6] - Strong performance in Theme Parks, driven by higher attendance and guest spending, partially offset these headwinds [6] 2026 Projections - For 2026, Theme Parks are expected to remain a bright spot, with improvements anticipated at Peacock as the streaming platform scales and monetization improves [7] - Projected revenue for 2026 is $125.41 billion, with an expected EPS of $3.72 [7]

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Comcast lost more broadband customers than expected in the fourth quarter, as rivals lured away consumers with aggressive offers, ​piling pressure on the company's mainstay business. Promotional campaigns by high-speed fiber providers ‌and the launch of cheaper fixed-wireless access internet services have deepened competition in the U.S. broadband ‌market - long dominated by the likes of Comcast and Charter Communications. Comcast on Thursday said it lost 181,000 broadband customers ...

Core Viewpoint - Poste Italiane is considering options to maintain a significant stake in Telecom Italia (TIM), potentially involving the sale of its broadband division to TIM in exchange for shares [1] Group 1 - Poste Italiane is exploring strategies to retain a large ownership in Telecom Italia [1] - The potential transaction may involve selling Poste's broadband unit to TIM [1] - This move could result in Poste receiving shares of Telecom Italia as part of the deal [1]

KPN Strategy Update | November 5, 2025 Connect Activate Grow Agenda 2 | KPN Strategy Update | November 2025 1. Progress so far 2. Infrastructure Value: Driving connected asset value 3. Transformation Value: Activating the change engine to deliver strategic value 4. Customer Value: Growing by differentiated offerings to customers 5. Financial Value: Financial framework and outlook 6. Q&A Strengthening Our Position via M&A, strategic partnerships and portfolio expansion 3 | KPN Strategy Update Our Progress | ...

Core Insights - Iridium Communications reported revenue of $226.94 million for the quarter ended September 2025, reflecting a 6.7% increase year-over-year and a surprise of +1.29% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $224.05 million [1] - The company's EPS was $0.35, up from $0.21 in the same quarter last year, resulting in an EPS surprise of +34.62% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.26 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - The average revenue per user (ARPU) for commercial voice and data was $48.00, slightly below the estimated $48.14 [4] - Total billable subscribers for government voice and data and IoT data service were 124 thousand, lower than the estimated 133.21 thousand [4] - Total billable subscribers for commercial voice and data, IoT data, and broadband service reached 2.42 million, compared to the estimated 2.45 million [4] - ARPU for commercial IoT data was $7.95, below the estimated $8.02 [4] - Revenue from subscriber equipment was $21.51 million, compared to the average estimate of $22.66 million, representing a year-over-year decline of -3% [4] - Service revenue was $165.24 million, slightly above the average estimate of $164.54 million, with a year-over-year increase of +3.4% [4] - Revenue from engineering and support services was $40.19 million, exceeding the estimated $36.63 million, marking a +30.7% change year-over-year [4] - Commercial service revenue was $138.33 million, above the average estimate of $137.51 million, reflecting a +3.8% year-over-year change [4] - Government service revenue was $26.91 million, slightly below the estimated $26.93 million, with a +1.4% change year-over-year [4] - Revenue from engineering and support services for government was $38.33 million, exceeding the estimated $34.15 million, representing a +32.1% change year-over-year [4] - Revenue from engineering and support services for commercial was $1.85 million, below the estimated $2.12 million, with a +7% change year-over-year [4] - IoT data commercial service revenue was $46.71 million, slightly below the estimated $47.27 million, with a +6.9% year-over-year change [4] Stock Performance - Iridium's shares have returned +12.9% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which changed by +0.2% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon Communications has shown improvement in its stock performance following solid second quarter results and positive guidance, with a year-to-date stock price increase of approximately 7% and a yield exceeding 6% [1] Financial Performance - Verizon's Q2 revenue increased by 5.2% to $34.5 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $33.74 billion [6] - Wireless service revenue rose by 2.2% to $20.9 billion, while wireless equipment revenue surged by 25.2% to $6.3 billion [6] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed 6% to $1.22, and adjusted EBITDA rose 4.1% to $12.8 billion [6] Subscriber Growth - The broadband business led growth, adding 293,000 net broadband subscribers, totaling 12.9 million, a year-over-year increase of over 12% [3] - The consumer wireless segment lost 51,000 postpaid subscribers but gained 50,000 prepaid subscribers [4] - Business service revenue increased by 1.6% to $3.6 billion, with 65,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions [5] Future Guidance - Verizon maintained its full-year 2025 wireless revenue growth forecast of 2% to 2.8% and increased the low end of its adjusted EPS growth forecast to 1% to 3% [7] - The company raised its operating cash flow outlook to between $37 billion and $39 billion, leading to a projected free cash flow of $19.5 billion to $20.5 billion [8][9] Dividend and Cash Flow - Verizon's dividend yield is approximately 6.4%, with a coverage ratio of 1.5x based on $8.8 billion in free cash flow generated in the first half of the year against $5.7 billion in dividends paid [10] - The company benefits from new tax legislation allowing for immediate 100% depreciation of certain assets, enhancing cash flow [11] Strategic Acquisitions - Verizon's acquisition of Frontier Communications is expected to significantly expand its fiber network, particularly in states like Florida, Texas, and California, enhancing its ability to bundle mobile and home internet services [14][15] Valuation - Verizon trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9x based on 2025 earnings estimates, which is below AT&T's 13x multiple, indicating potential upside [16]