AT&T (NYSE:T) Trading 2.1% Higher – Should You Buy?

20 Mar 2026, 21:40 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Shares of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T – Get Free Report) rose 2.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $28.63 and last traded at $28.3250. Approximately 128,022,133 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 176% from the average daily volume of 46,356,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $27.74.

AT&T News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AT&T this week:

Positive Sentiment: Management laid out a multi‑year network investment plan (>$250B over five years) and reiterated plans to return $45B+ to shareholders in 2026–2028, including ~ $8B of buybacks in 2026 — a clear signal for income and infrastructure investors. AT&T rises as investors lean into its long-term network spending plan and shareholder-return outlook
Positive Sentiment: AT&T’s planned purchase of Lumen’s mass‑market fiber business ($5.75B) expands fiber footprint and supports broadband monetization expectations. Lumen fiber acquisition details
Positive Sentiment: Launch of a new AI‑powered customer app and digital tools aimed at lowering service friction, improving retention, and enabling targeted upsells — investors view this as a path to cost savings and higher ARPU. AT&T Tests AI App To Cut Costs And Deepen Customer Relationships
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views and price targets are mixed but slightly constructive (median targets near $29.5; several recent “buy”/”overweight” ratings), which helps sentiment but doesn’t eliminate execution risk. Analyst ratings and price targets
Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership changes are mixed — large reported reductions by some funds offset by meaningful additions from others, signaling divergent views among big holders. Institutional holdings summary
Negative Sentiment: AT&T is raising prices on legacy plans to push customers to newer plans — a tactic that risks churn and public backlash if customers migrate or leave. AT&T is about to test customer loyalty with a risky move that increases prices on legacy plans
Negative Sentiment: Industrywide churn and aggressive discounting from rivals (T‑Mobile, Verizon) are pressuring margins and could force more promotional spend. T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T Go All-In On Discounts As Churn Surge Hits
Negative Sentiment: Some bearish commentary argues valuation/late-cycle execution risks make AT&T less attractive right now. AT&T: Way Too Late To Be Buying Now

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

T has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of AT&T from $33.00 to $29.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Williams Trading set a $32.00 target price on AT&T in a report on Thursday, January 29th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AT&T in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $33.00 price objective on shares of AT&T in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of AT&T in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $30.35.

Get Our Latest Analysis on AT&T

AT&T Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $197.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.28.

AT&T (NYSE:T – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.06. AT&T had a return on equity of 12.33% and a net margin of 17.47%.The company had revenue of $33.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Analysts forecast that AT&T Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. J. L. Bainbridge & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in AT&T by 1.7% in the second quarter. J. L. Bainbridge & Co. Inc. now owns 21,253 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Financial & Tax Architects LLC grew its holdings in AT&T by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 7,588 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $220,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares during the period. Tsfg LLC raised its position in shares of AT&T by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 10,656 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of AT&T by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 10,511 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AT&T by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 31,970 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $794,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the period. 57.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About AT&T

(Get Free Report)

AT&T Inc is a global telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and digital entertainment services. Its core activities include consumer and business wireless services, broadband and fiber internet, and network infrastructure. The company operates branded wireless services through AT&T Mobility and deploys fixed-line and fiber networks to deliver high-speed internet and related home services.