AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 20.5% in March to 118.25 million shares, about 1.7% of the stock and a short-interest ratio of 2.5 days, indicating increased bearish positioning.
• AT&T declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share (annualized $1.11, ~4.2% yield), with record/ex-dividend date on April 10 and payment scheduled for May 1.
• AT&T topped Q1 expectations and set FY2026 guidance, reporting $0.52 EPS vs. $0.46 consensus and $33.47B revenue, while guiding FY26 EPS to $2.25–$2.35 (consensus ~2.14).

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 118,250,771 shares, a growth of 20.5% from the March 15th total of 98,093,491 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 47,018,522 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 1.7% of the company's stock are sold short.

AT&T Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of T stock traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $26.53. The stock had a trading volume of 35,003,228 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,955,372. AT&T has a 12-month low of $22.95 and a 12-month high of $29.79. The firm's 50-day moving average is $27.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $185.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

AT&T (NYSE:T - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $33.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.91 billion. AT&T had a net margin of 17.47% and a return on equity of 12.33%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AT&T will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AT&T Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.2775 per share. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. AT&T's payout ratio is currently 36.39%.

Trending Headlines about AT&T

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley started coverage at Overweight and set a $30 price target, giving institutional credibility to upside expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical analysts note AT&T bounced off a price that has acted as both resistance and support, suggesting a potential continuation of an upside move if momentum holds. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Market-note coverage points to recent strength in Communication Services, where AT&T shares led sector gains during a notable intraday rally. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and Seeking Alpha previews outline what to watch in Q1 (subscriber trends, segment results, churn, free cash flow) — useful guideposts but not new company disclosures. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T confirmed a higher-tier “Elite” wireless plan (~$110/mo) with modest upgrades — product lift and ARPU potential, but adoption and margin impact are uncertain. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lobbying disclosures show $70,000 in Q1 activity on spectrum, auction authority and privacy — routine government affairs work that bears watching given ongoing spectrum and policy debates. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis warns the April results — first with the new segment structure after the Lumen and EchoStar deals — will test whether acquisitions and Advanced Connectivity can offset legacy declines and support the dividend. Disappointing FCF/churn detail could pressure the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny: reporting on failures in the nation's emergency cell backup network has prompted lawmakers to seek changes, which could bring oversight or costs for AT&T. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional flows are mixed and include very large Q4 reductions from major managers (e.g., UBS AM), while analyst price targets range widely (median ~$29 but several low targets near $19–$21), reflecting divergent views that could add volatility. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AT&T

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in AT&T in the 4th quarter worth $2,181,977,000. Amundi boosted its stake in AT&T by 67.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 42,295,492 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,094,184,000 after purchasing an additional 17,040,328 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in shares of AT&T by 620.8% in the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 11,891,778 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $295,392,000 after buying an additional 10,241,949 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in AT&T by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 332,089,723 shares of the technology company's stock worth $8,249,109,000 after acquiring an additional 8,314,678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in AT&T by 49.2% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 25,155,597 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $624,865,000 after acquiring an additional 8,297,201 shares during the last quarter. 57.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Barclays reduced their price target on AT&T from $28.00 to $26.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on AT&T from $33.00 to $29.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of AT&T from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. KeyCorp upped their price objective on AT&T from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AT&T in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $30.74.

AT&T Company Profile

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.

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