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Charter Communications to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

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Key Takeaways

  • Charter Communications is set to report Q2 2025 results on July 25 with revenue estimates at $13.76 billion.
  • CHTR's $34.5 billion Cox acquisition announced in Q2 could generate $500 million in annual synergies.
  • Mobile services momentum continues for Charter with 514K net additions and 33.5% revenue growth in Q1.

Charter Communications (CHTR - Free Report) is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2025 results on July 25.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2025 revenues is pegged at $13.76 billion, indicating a marginal increase of 0.52% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $10.05 per share, which has been revised downward by 0.1% over the past 30 days. The figure suggests an 18.37% increase from the year-ago reported figure.

CHTR surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the trailing four quarters, and missed once, with an average surprise of 5.05%.

Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement.

What Our Model Says

Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not exactly the case here.

Charter Communications currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.24% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors to Consider

Charter Communications is expected to have navigated a complex second quarter marked by transformative strategic developments alongside operational challenges that are likely to have influenced subscriber trends and cost structures heading into earnings results.

The company's $34.5 billion acquisition agreement with Cox Communications, announced May 16, represented the quarter's most significant development. The merger created potential for enhanced scale advantages and $500 million in annual cost synergies, though integration expenses and regulatory review costs are likely to have pressured near-term margins. Charter Communications also expanded its Disney (DIS - Free Report) distribution partnership in late June, adding Hulu to all Spectrum TV Select packages, potentially slowing video subscriber declines that had improved to 181,000 losses in the first quarter versus 405,000 the prior year.

Mobile services continued strong momentum from Charter Communications' first-quarter performance of 514,000 net additions and 33.5% revenue growth. The company's CBRS deployment reached full phase across 23 markets during the second quarter, with mobile traffic increasingly riding Charter Communications' network infrastructure rather than Verizon's macro network, supporting margin expansion in this key growth segment.

However, significant operational challenges emerged during the quarter. An infrastructure attack in Van Nuys, California, disrupted service to more than 50,000 customers for up to 30 hours, highlighting increased security costs and service restoration expenses. Charter classified the incident as domestic terrorism, part of an industry-wide pattern affecting consumers through thousands of similar attacks.

Network evolution timelines extended further, with DOCSIS 4.0 deployment pushed to 2027 due to equipment certification delays, potentially impacting competitive positioning against fiber overbuilders and 5G fixed wireless access providers who continued aggressive expansion during the second quarter.

Economic headwinds intensified through the quarter, with consumer spending growth decelerating and consumer confidence declining. These conditions are likely to have pressured Charter Communications’ subscriber acquisition and pricing power for premium services, particularly as streaming services reached nearly 45% of TV viewing time in May, surpassing broadcast and cable combined for the first time.

The competitive environment remained challenging with T-Mobile (TMUS - Free Report) adding more than 400,000 fixed wireless customers and AT&T (T - Free Report) reaching 30 million fiber locations passed during the second quarter. However, the regulatory environment improved with net neutrality elimination, providing operational flexibility, though this benefit is expected to have been offset by continued pressure from wireless and fiber competitors targeting CHTR's broadband customer base.

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