AT&T (NYSE:T) Shares Climb 1.7% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• AT&T shares rose 1.7% to about $22.87, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $29.05.
• Positive factors include fiber expansion, network upgrades, stable earnings expectations and a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share, representing an annualized yield of approximately 4.9%.
• Competition and disruption remain key risks: Bernstein cited SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone ambitions, while aggressive rivalry with T-Mobile could increase promotional spending and pressure pricing power.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T - Get Free Report) shares were up 1.7% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $23.02 and last traded at $22.8660. Approximately 46,615,723 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 48,523,121 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.49.

Trending Headlines about AT&T

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its 2026 EPS forecast to $2.34 from $2.33, slightly above the current consensus estimate. The increase reinforces expectations for stable earnings ahead of AT&T’s third-quarter results. MarketBeat AT&T stock report
• Positive Sentiment: AT&T’s fiber expansion, network upgrades and positive earnings-surprise outlook could support its upcoming quarterly report. The stock’s relatively low valuation and dividend yield may also attract income-oriented investors after the recent telecom selloff. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are pursuing satellite-supported coverage for underserved areas, potentially helping AT&T address rural coverage gaps while sharing the cost of competing with satellite providers. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon satellite coverage agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T is waiving certain charges for customers affected by storms and is promoting wireless and iPhone deals. These actions may strengthen customer relationships and retention, but discounts and waived fees could modestly pressure near-term revenue or margins. AT&T storm-related fee waivers
• Negative Sentiment: Bernstein downgraded AT&T and reduced price targets across telecom and cable companies, citing SpaceX’s expanding wireless ambitions. Investors fear Starlink’s satellite-to-phone service could eventually challenge traditional carriers, especially in rural markets. Barron's AT&T downgrade article
• Negative Sentiment: AT&T is also using advertising to challenge T-Mobile’s “price lock” claims, highlighting an increasingly aggressive competitive environment that could require higher promotional spending and limit pricing power. AT&T challenges T-Mobile price lock

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on T shares. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of AT&T from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $26.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AT&T from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of AT&T in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Wolfe Research raised shares of AT&T from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $29.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $30.00 price target on AT&T in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $29.05.

AT&T Price Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average is $25.00 and its 200-day moving average is $24.57. The stock has a market cap of $156.69 billion, a PE ratio of 7.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

AT&T (NYSE:T - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $31.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.80 billion. AT&T had a return on equity of 12.86% and a net margin of 16.94%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.54 earnings per share. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AT&T Inc. will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

AT&T Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, October 12th will be given a dividend of $0.2775 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $1.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. AT&T's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AT&T

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new position in AT&T during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AT&T in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AT&T during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AT&T in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH acquired a new stake in AT&T during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. 57.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc NYSE: T is a telecommunications company that provides wireless communications, broadband, and related connectivity services. Its offerings include mobile voice and data plans, internet access, fiber broadband, fixed wireless services, and business communications solutions.

The company serves consumers, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations primarily in the United States. AT&T's business operations include wireless network services, wireline connectivity, fiber-optic internet, voice services, and networking solutions designed to connect locations, devices, and applications.

AT&T traces its history to the Bell System and has operated under its current corporate name since 2005, following the acquisition of AT&T Corp.

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