Core Viewpoint - KT Corporation is transitioning into an AICT company, focusing on integrating IT and AI with telecommunications, while AT&T is enhancing its core wireless business and expanding 5G and fiber coverage in the U.S. [2][7] KT Corporation - KT is developing an AI lineup anchored by its proprietary Mi:dm2.0 large language model, with early contract wins from government and water resource sectors [2] - The company has partnered with Microsoft to integrate AI into its services and plans to introduce a tailored AI model by late 2025 [3] - KT's AI IT business revenues increased by 13.8% year over year, and KT Cloud revenues rose by 23% due to data center growth [3] - The company has a stable dividend policy and a KRW 1 trillion share buyback plan, reflecting confidence in future cash flows [4] - Management has committed KRW 1 trillion over five years for cybersecurity, which may pressure near-term profitability [5] - The domestic telecom market is heavily penetrated, limiting organic growth opportunities, and competition from SK Telecom and LG Uplus poses risks [6] AT&T - AT&T is focusing on its core wireless business and expanding its 5G and fiber coverage, with a strategy based on mobile 5G, fixed wireless, and edge computing [7] - The acquisition of mid-band spectrum from EchoStar is expected to enhance 5G performance and reduce capital investment needs [8] - AT&T reported 270,000 net adds for Internet Air, doubling year over year, and over 550,000 new subscribers to advanced broadband services [9] - The company aims to reach over 60 million fiber customer locations by 2030, with significant growth in fiber subscribers [10] - AT&T generated $4.9 billion in free cash flow in Q3 2025 and returned $3.5 billion to shareholders, indicating strong cash flow generation [11] - The wireline division faces persistent losses, with revenues down 7.8% year over year due to competitive pressures [12] Share Performance and Valuation - Over the past month, KT and AT&T shares declined by 1.9% and 9%, respectively [14] - KT's shares are trading at a price/book ratio of 0.75X, lower than AT&T's 1.45X [16] - Analysts have revised earnings estimates downward for KT, while AT&T's estimates remain unchanged [17][19] Consensus Estimates - Current earnings estimates for KT show a downward revision of 3.21% for F1 and 2.53% for F2 [18] - AT&T's earnings estimates have seen a positive revision trend, particularly for Q1 and F2 [19] Investment Outlook - AT&T holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), while KT Corporation has a rank of 4 (Sell), suggesting AT&T may be a better investment choice at this time [20]

Core Viewpoint - AT&T Inc. demonstrated strong subscriber growth in its wireless and internet divisions, but investor concerns regarding its profit strategy and earnings quality overshadowed these positive results [1] Subscriber Growth - AT&T reported impressive third-quarter results, exceeding consensus expectations for postpaid phone, fiber, and Internet Air subscriber additions [2][3] - The company is positioned to continue growth by expanding its 5G network and increasing prices for existing customers [1][4] Financial Performance - AT&T surpassed estimates for key financial metrics and reiterated its guidance for 2025 and beyond [3] - Analyst Michael J. Funk projected fiscal 2025 sales of $124.82 billion and EPS of $2.07 [5] Market Reaction - The market reacted negatively due to management's commentary suggesting a reduced focus on Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and a perception that the earnings beat was of "lower quality" due to lower depreciation guidance [3] Analyst Insights - Analyst Funk maintained a Buy rating on AT&T with a price forecast of $34, arguing that the recent stock sell-off misinterpreted the strong quarter [2] - Funk emphasized that the market is underestimating AT&T's core strengths and growth drivers, particularly in underpenetrated markets [4] Future Outlook - There is a significant opportunity for AT&T to add high-value subscribers and gain market share through service bundling and mid-band 5G spectrum rollout [4] - The company has a clear path to increase prices for its existing wireless and home internet customers [4]

Key Points AT&T reported mixed results relative to expectations, but the news was generally positive. AT&T added subscribers across wireless, fiber, and Internet Air, and its converged strategy made progress. With the stock trading in bargain territory, it looks like a solid value. 10 stocks we like better than AT&T › Telecom giant AT&T (NYSE: T) has a simple growth strategy: Win high-value customers who use its wireless and fiber services together. The company picked up plenty of those so-called ...

Financial Performance - AT&T's Q2 revenue increased by 3.4% to $30.8 billion, exceeding market expectations of $30.4 billion [1] - Adjusted earnings per share were $0.54, better than the anticipated $0.52 [1] - Free cash flow for the quarter was reported at $4.4 billion [1] Customer Growth - The company added 401,000 mobile phone users, surpassing the market expectation of 301,000 [1] - AT&T's "Internet Air" fixed wireless service gained 203,000 new customers, exceeding the forecast of 169,000 [1] - The company also added 243,000 fiber users [1] Strategic Initiatives - AT&T launched a new "customer assurance" policy aimed at expanding market share by providing stable network services and quality customer service [1] - The company plans to invest $3.5 billion of the expected tax savings from the tax and spending bill into fiber network construction, targeting 4 million new access points annually by the end of 2026 [2] - AT&T is acquiring Lumen Technologies' consumer fiber division to enhance its wired network coverage [2] Updated Guidance - The company raised its full-year guidance for mobile service revenue and profit, as well as capital expenditure expectations, while lowering the growth forecast for fiber business revenue [2] - AT&T maintains its adjusted earnings per share forecast of $1.97 to $2.07 [2] - The company plans to repurchase $4 billion in stock, having already repurchased $1.3 billion [2] Market Position - AT&T is the second of the three major U.S. telecom companies to report Q2 results, with T-Mobile US set to report later [2] - Despite a 3.8% pre-market drop, AT&T's stock has risen over 20% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500 and its telecom competitors [2]