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Compared to Estimates, AT&T (T) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

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For the quarter ended December 2023, AT&T (T - Free Report) reported revenue of $32.02 billion, up 2.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.54, compared to $0.61 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.79% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $31.46 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.55, the EPS surprise was -1.82%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how AT&T performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Mobility Subscribers - Postpaid phone: 71,255 thousand versus 71,358.1 thousand estimated by five analysts on average.
  • Consumer Wireline - Broadband connections - Total: 13,729 thousand versus the five-analyst average estimate of 13,690.61 thousand.
  • Mobility Net Additions - Postpaid Phone: 526 thousand versus 475.17 thousand estimated by five analysts on average.
  • Consumer Wireline - Fiber Broadband Net Additions: 273 thousand compared to the 237.93 thousand average estimate based on four analysts.
  • Revenues- Communications- Consumer Wireline: $3.35 billion compared to the $3.35 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.8% year over year.
  • Revenues- Communications- Mobility: $22.39 billion versus $21.72 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.2% change.
  • Revenues- Latin America: $1.09 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $952.76 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +26.6%.
  • Revenues- Communications- Business Wireline: $5.05 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $5.25 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -10.4%.
  • Revenues- Total Communications: $30.80 billion versus $30.33 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.4% change.
  • Revenues- Corporate and Other: $135 million compared to the $109.54 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +15.4% year over year.
  • Revenues- Communications- Mobility- Service: $16.04 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $16.20 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.9%.
  • Revenues- Communications- Mobility- Equipment: $6.35 billion versus $5.55 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.7% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for AT&T here>>>

Shares of AT&T have returned +3.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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