Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on AT&T (NYSE:T)

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors acquired 88,823 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 42% compared to the typical volume of 62,428 call options.

AT&T Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:T opened at $24.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $167.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $22.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.23. AT&T has a 12 month low of $19.89 and a 12 month high of $29.79.

AT&T (NYSE:T) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $31.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.80 billion. AT&T had a return on equity of 12.86% and a net margin of 16.94%.AT&T’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.54 EPS. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AT&T will post 2.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AT&T Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.2775 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $1.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.6%. AT&T’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.75%.

AT&T News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: AT&T reported better-than-expected Q2 adjusted earnings of $0.65 per share, helped by strong wireless subscriber growth, reinforcing confidence in its core business. Stock Market Today, July 22: AT&T Beats Earnings on Strong Wireless Subscriber Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research upgraded AT&T after the earnings release, saying the stock looks attractive following the quarter and that fears around SpaceX competition may be overstated. Wolfe Research Just Upgraded AT&T Stock. Here’s Why.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted AT&T’s fiber-led growth path, with fiber, wireless convergence, and copper shutdowns supporting margin gains, buybacks, and an intact 2026 outlook. T Q2 Earnings Call Points to Fiber-Led Growth Path
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T saw unusually heavy call-option buying, which suggests traders are positioning for further upside after the earnings-driven rally. Wolfe Research Just Upgraded AT&T Stock. Here’s Why.
• Negative Sentiment: One headline about an AT&T internet outage could weigh on sentiment by reminding investors of service reliability risks, though it appears to be a limited operational issue. ATT internet outage for some. AT and T outage Thursday

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AT&T

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AT&T in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in shares of AT&T during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. acquired a new stake in AT&T during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Blueline Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AT&T during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC increased its position in AT&T by 362.8% during the fourth quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC now owns 1,046 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. 57.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Argus dropped their price target on AT&T from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research raised AT&T from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $29.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on AT&T from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on AT&T from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on AT&T from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $29.19.

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.