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AT&T Surpasses Q2 Earnings Estimates on Fiber and Wireless Growth
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Key Takeaways
T's adjusted earnings rose 20.4% to 65 cents, beating the consensus estimate by 10.2%.
AT&T added over 1 million Advanced Connectivity customers, led by Internet and postpaid phone gains.
AT&T reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and now expects about $10 billion in share repurchases.
AT&T Inc. (T - Free Report) reported relatively modest second-quarter 2026 results with adjusted earnings of 65 cents per share, up 20.4% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 59 cents by 10.2%. Revenues increased 2.3% to $31.56 billion but missed the consensus mark of $32.04 billion by 1.5%.
Results benefited from higher fiber and wireless revenues and improving profitability. AT&T added more than 1 million Advanced Connectivity customers, including 646,000 Internet net additions and 432,000 postpaid phone net additions.
Advanced Connectivity revenues rose 4.1% year over year to $28.62 billion. Service revenues increased 5.1% to $23.48 billion, supported by growth across Wireless, Advanced Home Internet and Business Fiber offerings.
Operating income for the segment surged 20.3% to $7.35 billion, while EBITDA advanced 8% to $12.03 billion. The EBITDA margin expanded 150 basis points to 42%, reflecting stronger service revenue and lower depreciation expense.
AT&T Posts Strong Internet Customer Growth
Advanced home Internet revenues jumped 27.3% year over year to $2.93 billion. Business Fiber and Advanced Connectivity revenues increased 10% to $1.95 billion, partly offset by a 16.6% decline in Business Transitional and Other revenues.
AT&T recorded 367,000 fiber net additions and 279,000 fixed wireless net additions. Fiber connections rose 22.8% year over year to 12.87 million, while fixed wireless connections climbed 77.4% to 2.61 million. The company reached 38.6 million consumer and business locations with fiber and remained on track to exceed 40 million by year-end.
T Benefits From Wireless Subscriber Expansion
Wireless Service revenues increased 3.3% year over year to $17.41 billion. Growth was driven by higher retail wireless subscribers, expansion in converged accounts and pricing actions, partly offset by promotional discounts associated with subscriber additions.
Postpaid phone net additions totaled 432,000, up from 401,000 in the year-ago quarter. Postpaid phone churn improved one basis point to 0.86%. The Advanced Home Internet convergence rate reached 42.5%, indicating that a growing share of Internet customers also subscribed to AT&T wireless services.
AT&T Navigates Legacy Declines and Mexico Costs
Legacy segment revenues fell 25.9% year over year to $1.63 billion as demand for copper-based services continued to decline. Operating income plunged 45.5% to $523 million, while the operating margin contracted 1,160 basis points to 32%.
Latin America revenues rose 16.1% to $1.22 billion, aided by favorable foreign exchange rates and postpaid subscriber growth. However, operating expenses increased 17.7%, causing operating income to decline 17.4% to $38 million. Segment EBITDA increased 12.9% to $227 million.
T Expands Profitability and Cash Generation
Consolidated operating income increased 8.3% year over year to $7.04 billion. Adjusted operating income rose to $7.46 billion from $6.49 billion, while adjusted EBITDA improved 5.2% to $12.34 billion. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 39.1% from 38%.
Cash from operating activities was $10.80 billion, up from $9.76 billion. Free cash flow increased 6.3% to $4.67 billion despite capital expenditures rising 16.4% to $5.70 billion. Capital investment, including vendor financing payments, totaled $6.13 billion.
AT&T Reaffirms Outlook and Accelerates Buybacks
AT&T reiterated its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $2.25-$2.35 per share. The company continues to expect adjusted EBITDA growth of 3-4%, free cash flow of more than $18 billion and capital investment of $23-$24 billion.
The company returned $4.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including about $2.2 billion through share repurchases. AT&T now expects approximately $10 billion of repurchases in 2026. It ended the quarter with $17.57 billion in cash, net debt of $126.38 billion and a net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio of 2.68.
Arista Networks Inc. (ANET - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 89 cents per share, suggesting a growth of 21.9% from the year-ago reported figure.
Arista has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 19.9%. Arista delivered an average earnings surprise of 8.3% in the last four reported quarters.
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM - Free Report) is slated to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 6. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.58 per share, indicating an 8.7% decline from the year-ago reported figure.
Akamai has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 8.1%. Akamai delivered an average earnings surprise of 7.5% in the last four reported quarters.
Pinterest, Inc. (PINS - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 36 cents per share, implying a rise of 9.1% from the year-ago reported figure.
Pinterest has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 27%. Pinterest delivered an average negative earnings surprise of 4.1% in the last four reported quarters.
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AT&T Surpasses Q2 Earnings Estimates on Fiber and Wireless Growth
Key Takeaways
AT&T Inc. (T - Free Report) reported relatively modest second-quarter 2026 results with adjusted earnings of 65 cents per share, up 20.4% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 59 cents by 10.2%. Revenues increased 2.3% to $31.56 billion but missed the consensus mark of $32.04 billion by 1.5%.
Results benefited from higher fiber and wireless revenues and improving profitability. AT&T added more than 1 million Advanced Connectivity customers, including 646,000 Internet net additions and 432,000 postpaid phone net additions.
AT&T Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
AT&T Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AT&T Inc. Quote
T Gains From Advanced Connectivity Momentum
Advanced Connectivity revenues rose 4.1% year over year to $28.62 billion. Service revenues increased 5.1% to $23.48 billion, supported by growth across Wireless, Advanced Home Internet and Business Fiber offerings.
Operating income for the segment surged 20.3% to $7.35 billion, while EBITDA advanced 8% to $12.03 billion. The EBITDA margin expanded 150 basis points to 42%, reflecting stronger service revenue and lower depreciation expense.
AT&T Posts Strong Internet Customer Growth
Advanced home Internet revenues jumped 27.3% year over year to $2.93 billion. Business Fiber and Advanced Connectivity revenues increased 10% to $1.95 billion, partly offset by a 16.6% decline in Business Transitional and Other revenues.
AT&T recorded 367,000 fiber net additions and 279,000 fixed wireless net additions. Fiber connections rose 22.8% year over year to 12.87 million, while fixed wireless connections climbed 77.4% to 2.61 million. The company reached 38.6 million consumer and business locations with fiber and remained on track to exceed 40 million by year-end.
T Benefits From Wireless Subscriber Expansion
Wireless Service revenues increased 3.3% year over year to $17.41 billion. Growth was driven by higher retail wireless subscribers, expansion in converged accounts and pricing actions, partly offset by promotional discounts associated with subscriber additions.
Postpaid phone net additions totaled 432,000, up from 401,000 in the year-ago quarter. Postpaid phone churn improved one basis point to 0.86%. The Advanced Home Internet convergence rate reached 42.5%, indicating that a growing share of Internet customers also subscribed to AT&T wireless services.
AT&T Navigates Legacy Declines and Mexico Costs
Legacy segment revenues fell 25.9% year over year to $1.63 billion as demand for copper-based services continued to decline. Operating income plunged 45.5% to $523 million, while the operating margin contracted 1,160 basis points to 32%.
Latin America revenues rose 16.1% to $1.22 billion, aided by favorable foreign exchange rates and postpaid subscriber growth. However, operating expenses increased 17.7%, causing operating income to decline 17.4% to $38 million. Segment EBITDA increased 12.9% to $227 million.
T Expands Profitability and Cash Generation
Consolidated operating income increased 8.3% year over year to $7.04 billion. Adjusted operating income rose to $7.46 billion from $6.49 billion, while adjusted EBITDA improved 5.2% to $12.34 billion. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 39.1% from 38%.
Cash from operating activities was $10.80 billion, up from $9.76 billion. Free cash flow increased 6.3% to $4.67 billion despite capital expenditures rising 16.4% to $5.70 billion. Capital investment, including vendor financing payments, totaled $6.13 billion.
AT&T Reaffirms Outlook and Accelerates Buybacks
AT&T reiterated its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $2.25-$2.35 per share. The company continues to expect adjusted EBITDA growth of 3-4%, free cash flow of more than $18 billion and capital investment of $23-$24 billion.
The company returned $4.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including about $2.2 billion through share repurchases. AT&T now expects approximately $10 billion of repurchases in 2026. It ended the quarter with $17.57 billion in cash, net debt of $126.38 billion and a net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio of 2.68.
Zacks Rank
AT&T currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Upcoming Releases
Arista Networks Inc. (ANET - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 89 cents per share, suggesting a growth of 21.9% from the year-ago reported figure.
Arista has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 19.9%. Arista delivered an average earnings surprise of 8.3% in the last four reported quarters.
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM - Free Report) is slated to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 6. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.58 per share, indicating an 8.7% decline from the year-ago reported figure.
Akamai has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 8.1%. Akamai delivered an average earnings surprise of 7.5% in the last four reported quarters.
Pinterest, Inc. (PINS - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 36 cents per share, implying a rise of 9.1% from the year-ago reported figure.
Pinterest has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 27%. Pinterest delivered an average negative earnings surprise of 4.1% in the last four reported quarters.