Q1 Earnings Highs And Lows: WideOpenWest (NYSE:WOW) Vs The Rest Of The Wireless, Cable and Satellite Stocks

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how WideOpenWest (NYSE:WOW) and the rest of the wireless, cable and satellite stocks fared in Q1.

The massive physical footprints of cell phone towers, fiber in the ground, or satellites in space make it challenging for companies in this industry to adjust to shifting consumer habits. Over the last decade-plus, consumers have ‘cut the cord’ to their landlines and traditional cable subscriptions in favor of wireless communications and streaming video. These trends do mean that more households need cell phone plans and high-speed internet. Companies that successfully serve customers can enjoy high retention rates and pricing power since the options for mobile and internet connectivity in any geography are usually limited.

The 8 wireless, cable and satellite stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

WideOpenWest (NYSE:WOW)

Initially started in Denver as a cable television provider, WideOpenWest (NYSE:WOW) provides high-speed internet, cable, and telephone services to the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S.

WideOpenWest reported revenues of $150 million, down 7.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a mixed quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimate.

"Our first quarter results build on the momentum in our Greenfield markets that we carried forward from last year. We have now passed 75,600 homes across our new markets in Hernando Beach, Florida, Central Florida, Brighton, Michigan and Greenville County, South Carolina," said Teresa Elder, WOW!'s CEO.

WideOpenWest scored the biggest analyst estimates beat but had the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Still, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 3.3% since reporting and currently trades at $4.21.

Is now the time to buy WideOpenWest? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)

Formerly known as American Cable Systems, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is a multinational telecommunications company offering a wide range of services.

Comcast reported revenues of $29.89 billion, flat year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ domestic broadband customers estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 3.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $35.55.

Is now the time to buy Comcast? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Altice (NYSE:ATUS)

Based in Long Island City, Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS) is a telecommunications company offering cable, internet, telephone, and television services across the United States.

Altice reported revenues of $2.15 billion, down 4.4% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 6.1% since the results and currently trades at $2.48.

Read our full analysis of Altice’s results here.

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI)

Known for its commercial-free music channels, Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) is a broadcasting company that provides satellite radio and online radio services across North America.

Sirius XM reported revenues of $2.07 billion, down 4.3% year on year. This print lagged analysts' expectations by 0.6%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 5.5% since reporting and currently trades at $22.58.

Read our full, actionable report on Sirius XM here, it’s free.

AT&T (NYSE:T)

Founded by Alexander Graham Bell, AT&T (NYSE:T) is a multinational telecomm conglomerate providing a range of communications and internet services.

AT&T reported revenues of $30.63 billion, up 2% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

AT&T pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 3.1% since reporting and currently trades at $27.78.

Read our full, actionable report on AT&T here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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