AT&T (NYSE:T) Shares Up 5.4% Following Earnings Beat

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)’s share price traded up 5.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $24.24 and last traded at $24.2450. 37,835,765 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 43,651,855 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.00.

The technology company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.06. AT&T had a net margin of 17.87% and a return on equity of 12.72%. The firm had revenue of $33.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS.

AT&T Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be given a $0.2775 dividend. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. AT&T’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.04%.

Key AT&T News

Here are the key news stories impacting AT&T this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus — adjusted EPS of $0.52 topped estimates and revenue (~$33.5B) came in above most Street expectations, driving the initial rally. AT&T Stock Charges Higher on Upbeat Results, Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Subscriber momentum: AT&T added meaningful net postpaid phone subscribers (421k) and strong fiber broadband adds (~283k), and its “convergence” rate increased — signs of revenue mix improvement and higher customer lifetime value. AT&T’s earnings impress as subscriber growth booms and the stock soars
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $2.25–$2.35 (slightly above consensus) and outlined sizable capital returns — including multi-year plans to return ~$45B+ (2026–2028) and a near-term buyback authorization — supporting shareholder yield and valuation re-rating. AT&T Reports Strong Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance Driven by Growth in Converged Fiber and 5G Customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and metric checks show nuance — some writeups compare key line items to estimates (and year-ago comps) highlighting that while the headline beat is clear, margins and certain metrics warrant close parsing. Investors should watch the conference call for detail. Compared to Estimates, AT&T (T) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Legacy-business pressure remains — several reports note a legacy/voice/infrastructure slump that management is offsetting with wireless and fiber growth; that structural drag could cap margin upside if connectivity growth slows. AT&T Offsets Legacy Slump With Solid Wireless Growth

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

T has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Loop Capital set a $29.00 price objective on AT&T in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of AT&T from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AT&T in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on AT&T from $29.00 to $27.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on AT&T from $33.00 to $29.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $29.67.

Institutional Trading of AT&T

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Front Row Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AT&T during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. raised its stake in AT&T by 363.7% during the third quarter. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. now owns 895 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the period. GGM Financials LLC acquired a new position in AT&T in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management grew its stake in shares of AT&T by 84.2% in the 4th quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management now owns 1,087,055 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 496,804 shares during the period. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank increased its holdings in shares of AT&T by 412.1% during the 2nd quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 973 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. 57.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AT&T Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $172.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $24.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.37.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc is a global telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and digital entertainment services. Its core activities include consumer and business wireless services, broadband and fiber internet, and network infrastructure. The company operates branded wireless services through AT&T Mobility and deploys fixed-line and fiber networks to deliver high-speed internet and related home services.

AT&T’s product and service portfolio spans mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and device sales, home internet (including fiber-to-the-home where available), and managed connectivity solutions for enterprise customers.