AT&T Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:T)

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 70,801 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 27% compared to the typical volume of 55,861 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tsfg LLC raised its stake in AT&T by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 10,656 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in AT&T by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 10,511 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AT&T by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 22,398 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $556,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the period. Finally, Rockline Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of AT&T by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Rockline Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,445 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 378 shares during the last quarter. 57.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting AT&T

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

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity leaned bullish, with investors buying 70,801 AT&T call options, about 27% above typical volume, suggesting traders are positioning for more upside.
• Positive Sentiment: AT&T expanded its Build-A-Plan offering, letting customers bundle wireless with Fiber or Internet Air in one customizable purchase, which could help improve customer retention and average revenue per user. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Another report highlighted AT&T’s push to add home internet options to its modular mobile plans, reinforcing the company’s strategy to deepen its bundled broadband and wireless footprint. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: AT&T remains one of the most-watched telecom names, with articles and previews ahead of earnings keeping investor attention elevated, but these items mostly reflect ongoing market interest rather than a clear new catalyst. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer downgraded AT&T, citing rising competition from SpaceX/Starlink as a potential threat to the telecom industry’s growth and pricing power. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: EchoStar’s Dish bankruptcy filing after delays tied to its spectrum sale to AT&T adds a layer of transaction uncertainty around a major strategic deal. Article Title

AT&T Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE T traded down $0.35 on Thursday, reaching $20.13. The company had a trading volume of 83,113,540 shares, compared to its average volume of 46,575,992. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.87. AT&T has a 1 year low of $19.89 and a 1 year high of $29.79. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.10 and a 200-day moving average of $25.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $139.84 billion, a PE ratio of 6.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.24.

AT&T (NYSE:T) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.02. AT&T had a return on equity of 12.49% and a net margin of 16.94%.The business had revenue of $31.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. AT&T has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AT&T will post 2.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AT&T Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.2775 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. AT&T’s payout ratio is 37.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer cut AT&T from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of AT&T from $29.00 to $31.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of AT&T in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AT&T from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of AT&T in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $30.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $30.55.

About AT&T

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.

AT&T’s product and service portfolio spans mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and device sales, home internet (including fiber-to-the-home where available), and managed connectivity solutions for enterprise customers.