AT&T (NYSE:T) Trading Up 5.4% After Earnings Beat

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

The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.06. AT&T had a net margin of 17.47% and a return on equity of 12.33%. The company had revenue of $33.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.43 EPS. AT&T’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 Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be given a $0.2775 dividend. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. AT&T’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.04%.

Trending Headlines about AT&T

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat and management raised guidance — AT&T reported $0.52 EPS vs. consensus ~ $0.46 and revenue of ~$33.5B, and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $2.25–$2.35, which reassures investors on near‑term profitability. AT&T Stock Jumps. Its Earnings Sent Investors a Better Signal.
• Positive Sentiment: Big shareholder returns announced — management authorized a new buyback program (reported as $8–10B range across coverage) and reiterated plans to return $45B+ to shareholders from 2026–2028, boosting cash‑return expectations. Stock Market Today, Jan. 28: AT&T Rises After Earnings Beat and New Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Subscriber momentum and convergence — AT&T added 421k postpaid phone subs and ~283k fiber subs in Q4, with a rising share of fiber households also taking AT&T wireless, supporting ARPU upside and lower churn. AT&T’s earnings impress as subscriber growth booms and the stock soars
• Positive Sentiment: Fiber & convergence growth strategy expanding — AT&T plans to reach ~40 million fiber locations and is pursuing spectrum/fiber deals to accelerate 5G and broadband growth, which underpins long‑term EBITDA and free‑cash‑flow targets. AT&T beats targets, plans 40m fiber locations, more convergence
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic deals viewed as upside — analysts and commentators highlight the Lumen transaction and other deals as catalysts that can accelerate fiber and wireless monetization beyond the headline results. AT&T’s Lumen Deal Hides an Opportunity Most Investors Are Missing
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views mixed but tilting positive — some firms upgraded or raised price targets and consensus ratings show a moderate‑buy tilt, while others remain cautious; the street is split on timing of value from fiber/5G. AT&T Stock Forecast: Trending Moderate Buy Among Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed take on near‑term cash flow drivers — some analysts note tax‑related cash‑flow support and long‑term fiber/5G upside but kept neutral/hold ratings pending proof of sustained margin improvement. AT&T: Mixed Quarter, Tax-Driven Cash Flow Support, and Long-Term Fiber/5G Upside Keep Rating at Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Small revenue miss and legacy declines — while the headline beat was clear on EPS, some providers noted a modest revenue shortfall vs. certain estimates and ongoing legacy‑service erosion that still weighs on growth metrics. AT&T ($T) Releases Q4 2025 Earnings

Analyst Ratings Changes

T has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Loop Capital set a $29.00 price target on AT&T in a report on Friday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of AT&T from $33.00 to $29.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AT&T in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Arete Research set a $20.00 price objective on shares of AT&T in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $29.50 price objective on shares of AT&T in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.83.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AT&T

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in T. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in AT&T by 26.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 48,579 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,106,000 after purchasing an additional 10,188 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group increased its stake in AT&T by 9.7% in the second quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 26,903 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $779,000 after purchasing an additional 2,387 shares during the period. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AT&T by 3.5% in the second quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 119,207 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,450,000 after buying an additional 4,058 shares during the last quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AT&T by 86.1% during the second quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. now owns 22,233 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $643,000 after buying an additional 10,284 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of AT&T by 35.5% during the second quarter. Heritage Financial Services LLC now owns 13,899 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $402,000 after buying an additional 3,640 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.10% of the company’s stock.

AT&T Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $177.91 billion, a PE ratio of 8.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $24.49 and a 200-day moving average of $26.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

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.