D.A. Davidson & CO. Boosts Stake in AT&T Inc. $T

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & Co. increased its AT&T stake by 11.4% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 495,884 shares valued at about $14.4 million.
• AT&T reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.57 versus estimates of $0.55 and revenue of $31.51 billion, up 2.9% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 5.0%, while analysts remain mixed-to-bullish with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a $29.34 price target.

D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in shares of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T - Free Report) by 11.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 495,884 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 50,745 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in AT&T were worth $14,376,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in AT&T during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in shares of AT&T in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AT&T during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of AT&T during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AT&T during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. 57.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AT&T Stock Performance

T opened at $21.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $23.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.32. AT&T Inc. has a 1 year low of $19.89 and a 1 year high of $29.79. The stock has a market cap of $152.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.24.

AT&T (NYSE:T - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.02. AT&T had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 12.49%. The firm had revenue of $31.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that AT&T Inc. will post 2.32 earnings per share for the current year.

AT&T Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.2775 per share. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. AT&T's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.25%.

Key Stories Impacting AT&T

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

• Positive Sentiment: AT&T said an AI system it built to prevent network outages has reduced customer downtime by more than 12 million hours, reinforcing the company’s network reliability story and suggesting potential service-quality and cost-efficiency benefits. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: AT&T was named the “fastest connectivity provider” in a new Ookla analysis, which supports the company’s marketing message around superior wireless and fiber performance and could help customer acquisition and retention. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts have recently raised earnings estimates or reiterated bullish views on AT&T, including KeyCorp’s higher EPS forecasts and a $36 price target, while Scotiabank’s target of $29.25 still implies meaningful upside from current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Hedge-fund positioning appears constructive, with large firms such as Capital World Investors and Goldman Sachs adding to AT&T holdings ahead of earnings, which can be read as a vote of confidence in the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T disclosed $50,000 of Q2 lobbying activity covering spectrum rules, net neutrality, broadband support, and other regulatory issues. This is not a direct operating update, but it highlights ongoing policy risk and advocacy efforts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T also generated attention from consumer- and business-oriented coverage around higher monthly fees and carrier-plan changes, but these items are more of a mixed backdrop than a clear near-term catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank lowered its price target from $31 to $29.25 and kept a “sector perform” rating, which is a mild valuation headwind even though the revised target still sits above the current share price. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of AT&T from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of AT&T from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of AT&T from $31.00 to $29.25 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $31.00 price objective on shares of AT&T in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of AT&T in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $29.34.

AT&T 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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