How Does T Stack Up Against Its Peers?
Here is how AT&T (T) stacks up against its peers in size, valuation, growth and margin.
- T’s operating margin of 19.9% is strong, higher than most peers though lower than TMUS (23.1%).
- T’s revenue growth of 1.5% in the last 12 months is low, lagging TMUS, VZ but outpacing CMCSA, LUMN, ATNI.
- T gained 23.6% in the past year and trades at a PE of 14.6, outperforming its peers.
As a quick background, AT&T provides global telecommunications, media, and technology services, including wireless voice and data, device sales, and video services in Latin America.
T stock has fallen meaningfully recently and we currently find it risky. This may feel like a caution, and there is significant risk in relying on a single stock. However, there is a huge value to a broader diversified approach we take with Trefis High Quality Portfolio. Should you buy one stock you like or build a portfolio designed to win across cycles? Our numbers show that High Quality Portfolio has turned stock-picking uncertainty into market-beating consistency. This portfolio is incorporated in asset allocation strategy of Empirical Asset Management – a Boston area wealth manager and Trefis partner – whose asset allocation framework yielded positive returns during the 2008-09 period when the S&P lost more than 40%.
| T | TMUS | VZ | CMCSA | LUMN | ATNI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 186.5 | 254.8 | 175.0 | 117.1 | 7.1 | 0.2 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 124.0 | 84.1 | 137.0 | 123.6 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| PE Ratio | 14.6 | 20.9 | 9.6 | 7.5 | -6.0 | -4.9 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | 1.5% | 6.3% | 2.1% | 1.3% | -6.5% | -5.3% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 19.9% | 23.1% | 21.5% | 18.7% | 3.2% | 4.3% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 15.8% | 14.7% | 14.3% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 5.4% |
| 12M Market Return | 23.6% | 9.5% | 0.1% | -21.7% | 5.6% | -52.0% |
Why does this matter? T just went down -12.6% in a month – peer comparison puts stock performance, valuation, and financials in context – highlighting whether it is truly outperforming, lagging behind, and above all – can this continue? Read Buy or Sell T Stock to see if AT&T is really a falling knife. Sharp dips often come with rebound opportunities – see how the stock has dipped and recovered in the past through T Dip Buyer Analysis lens.
Revenue Growth Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 1.5% | -0.1% | 1.4% | -9.9% |
| TMUS | 6.3% | 3.6% | -1.3% | -0.7% |
| VZ | 2.1% | 0.6% | -2.1% | 2.4% |
| CMCSA | 1.3% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 4.3% |
| LUMN | -6.5% | -10.0% | -16.7% | -11.2% |
| ATNI | -5.3% | -4.3% | 5.0% | 20.4% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 19.9% | 19.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| TMUS | 23.1% | 22.1% | 18.1% | 10.2% |
| VZ | 21.5% | 21.3% | 21.4% | 22.3% |
| CMCSA | 18.7% | 18.8% | 19.2% | 18.6% |
| LUMN | 3.2% | 3.6% | 8.4% | 18.8% |
| ATNI | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 14.6 | 15.0 | 8.4 | -15.5 |
| TMUS | 20.9 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 67.6 |
| VZ | 9.6 | 9.6 | 13.7 | 7.8 |
| CMCSA | 7.5 | 9.0 | 11.7 | 28.7 |
| LUMN | -6.0 | -95.4 | -0.2 | -3.4 |
| ATNI | -4.9 | -9.7 | -41.8 | -126.4 |
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.