Vanguard Group Increases Ownership in AT&T Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. has raised its stake in AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, as disclosed in its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor now owns a total of 642,859,644 shares of AT&T after acquiring an additional 6,220,442 shares during this period. As of its most recent SEC filing, Vanguard's investment in AT&T is approximately valued at $14.64 billion, which constitutes around 8.96% of the company's total shares.

Recent Institutional Activity

In addition to Vanguard, several other hedge funds and institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AT&T. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC made a new investment in the company in the 3rd quarter, amounting to $25,000. Meanwhile, Marshall Investment Management LLC and YANKCOM Partnership also acquired new stakes in the 4th quarter, valued at about $28,000 and $30,000, respectively. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its position significantly by 48.6%, now holding 1,314 shares worth $30,000 after adding 430 shares in the latest quarter. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. also entered a new stake in AT&T worth approximately $34,000. Overall, institutional investors own about 57.10% of AT&T's stock.

Stock Performance Overview

On the trading day prior, AT&T's stock opened at $27.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $25.13 and a 200-day moving average of $23.30. AT&T's market capitalization stands at $194.06 billion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 18.14. The stock has fluctuated between a 12-month low of $15.94 and a high of $27.97. Additionally, AT&T has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.62, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Earnings Highlights

AT&T released its most recent earnings report on January 27th. The company reported earnings of $0.54 per share for the quarter, which surpassed the expected consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.06. AT&T's return on equity is noted at 13.97%, with a net profit margin of 8.95%. Analysts anticipate that AT&T will achieve earnings per share of $2.14 for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Update

Several analysts have shared their thoughts on AT&T's stock. Argus recently upgraded its rating from "hold" to "buy" and set a price target of $27.00. BNP Paribas elevated its rating from "neutral" to "outperform" with a target price of $28.50. Sanford C. Bernstein increased its price objective for AT&T from $28.00 to $29.00. Furthermore, Tigress Financial and JPMorgan Chase also adjusted their price targets upward. Currently, one analyst has rated the stock as a sell, five analysts issued a hold rating, and a total of seventeen analysts gave a buy rating for the company. Presently, consensus ratings indicate a "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $26.79.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is a holding company specializing in telecommunications and technology services. Its operations are primarily divided into two segments: Communications, which offers wireless and wireline telecom services, and Latin America, serving both U.S. customers and businesses globally.

Vanguard, AT&T, Investment