How Does AT&T Stock Stack Up Against Its Peers?
Here is how AT&T (T) stock stacks up against its peers in size, valuation, growth and margin.
- T’s operating margin of 19.5% is strong, higher than most peers though lower than VZ (23.0%).
- T’s revenue growth of 2.0% in the last 12 months is low, lagging TMUS, VZ, CMCSA but outpacing LUMN, ATNI.
- T’s stock gained 16.4% over the past year and trades at a PE of 7.9, though peers like LUMN delivered stronger returns.
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.
Should you buy one stock you like or build a portfolio designed to win across cycles? Our numbers show that the Trefis High Quality Portfolio has turned stock-picking uncertainty into market-beating consistency. This portfolio is incorporated in the 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) | 175.8 | 230.1 | 167.8 | 103.9 | 10.8 | 0.2 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 124.5 | 85.8 | 137.5 | 124.2 | 12.7 | 0.7 |
| PE Ratio | 7.9 | 19.4 | 8.5 | 4.5 | -6.5 | -4.9 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | 2.0% | 7.3% | 2.4% | 2.5% | -4.6% | -5.3% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 19.5% | 22.6% | 23.0% | 18.1% | 1.3% | 4.3% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 16.0% | 16.1% | 15.0% | 13.4% | 9.7% | 5.4% |
| 12M Market Return | 16.4% | -8.6% | 2.8% | -31.9% | 42.7% | -22.0% |
Why does this matter? T just went down -5.1% 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 | 2.0% | -0.1% | 1.4% | -9.9% |
| TMUS | 7.3% | 3.6% | -1.3% | -0.7% |
| VZ | 2.4% | 0.6% | -2.1% | 2.4% |
| CMCSA | 2.5% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 4.3% |
| LUMN | -4.6% | -10.0% | -16.7% | -11.2% |
| ATNI | -5.3% | -4.3% | 5.0% | 20.4% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 19.5% | 19.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| TMUS | 22.6% | 22.1% | 18.1% | 10.2% |
| VZ | 23.0% | 21.3% | 21.4% | 22.3% |
| CMCSA | 18.1% | 18.8% | 19.2% | 18.6% |
| LUMN | 1.3% | 3.6% | 8.4% | 18.8% |
| ATNI | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 7.9 | 15.0 | 8.4 | -15.5 |
| TMUS | 19.4 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 67.6 |
| VZ | 8.5 | 9.6 | 13.7 | 7.8 |
| CMCSA | 4.5 | 9.0 | 11.7 | 28.7 |
| LUMN | -6.5 | -95.4 | -0.2 | -3.4 |
| ATNI | -4.9 | -9.7 | -41.8 | -126.4 |
While peer comparison is critical, 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.