Here is What to Know Beyond Why AT&T Inc. (T) is a Trending Stock


AT&T

(T) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Shares of this telecommunications company have returned +1.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s -6% change. The Zacks Wireless National industry, to which AT&T belongs, has lost 1.1% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company’s business prospects usually make its stock ‘trending’ and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.


Revisions to Earnings Estimates

Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company’s earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors’ interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

For the current quarter, AT&T is expected to post earnings of $0.60 per share, indicating a change of -32.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.3% over the last 30 days.

The consensus earnings estimate of $2.55 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of -25%. This estimate has changed -0.3% over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.51 indicates a change of -1.6% from what AT&T is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.

Having a strong

externally audited track record

, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock’s price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other

factors related to earnings estimates

, AT&T is rated Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

The chart below shows the evolution of the company’s forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:


12 Month EPS

12-month consensus EPS estimate for T _12MonthEPSChartUrl


Revenue Growth Forecast

Even though a company’s earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It’s almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company’s potential revenue growth is crucial.

For AT&T, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $29.45 billion indicates a year-over-year change of -33.2%. For the current and next fiscal years, $128.3 billion and $120.44 billion estimates indicate -24% and -6.1% changes, respectively.


Last Reported Results and Surprise History

AT&T reported revenues of $38.11 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -13.3%. EPS of $0.77 for the same period compares with $0.86 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $38.3 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -0.52%. The EPS surprise was -1.28%.

Over the last four quarters, AT&T surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.


Valuation

Without considering a stock’s valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock’s future price performance, it’s crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company’s growth prospects.

While comparing the current values of a company’s valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock’s price.

The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

AT&T is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers.

Click here

to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.


Conclusion

The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it’s worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about AT&T. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.


Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2022

In addition to the investment ideas discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2022?

From inception in 2012 through 2021, the

Zacks Top 10 Stocks

portfolios gained an impressive +1,001.2% versus the S&P 500’s +348.7%. Now our Director of Research has combed through 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and has handpicked the best 10 tickers to buy and hold. Don’t miss your chance to get in…because the sooner you do, the more upside you stand to grab.


See Stocks Now >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.

Click to get this free report


To read this article on Zacks.com click here.