The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how consumer discretionary - wireless, cable and satellite stocks fared in Q4, starting with Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA).

The Consumer Discretionary sector, by definition, is made up of companies selling non-essential goods and services. When economic conditions deteriorate or tastes shift, consumers can easily cut back or eliminate these purchases. For long-term investors with five-year holding periods, this creates a structural challenge: the sector is inherently hit-driven, with low switching costs and fickle customers. As a result, only a handful of companies can reliably grow demand and compound earnings over long periods, which is why our bar is high and High Quality ratings are rare. Wireless, cable, and satellite companies provide pay-TV, broadband internet, and mobile connectivity through large fixed-infrastructure networks. Tailwinds include growing bandwidth consumption, bundling opportunities across video, internet, and wireless services, and rural broadband subsidies from government programs. However, headwinds are pronounced: cord-cutting continues to erode traditional video subscriber bases, capital expenditure requirements for network upgrades (such as fiber overbuilds and 5G rollouts) are substantial, and aggressive promotional pricing among competitors compresses margins. Regulatory oversight on pricing and net neutrality adds uncertainty, while streaming platforms increasingly bypass traditional distributors, reducing the value of the legacy pay-TV bundle.

The 6 consumer discretionary - wireless, cable and satellite stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.8%.

Luckily, consumer discretionary - wireless, cable and satellite stocks have performed well with share prices up 12.4% on average since the latest earnings results.

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 $32.31 billion, up 1.2% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 10.4% since reporting and currently trades at $31.37.

Read our full report on Comcast here, it’s free.

Best Q4: 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 $33.47 billion, up 3.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

AT&T scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 21.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $27.86.

Is now the time to buy AT&T? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Slowest Q4: Optimum Communications (NYSE: OPTU)

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

Optimum Communications reported revenues of $2.18 billion, down 2.3% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 1.9% since the results and currently trades at $1.59.

Read our full analysis of Optimum Communications’s results here.

Verizon (NYSE: VZ)

Formed in 1984 as Bell Atlantic after the breakup of Bell System into seven companies, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is a telecom giant providing a range of communications and internet services.

Verizon reported revenues of $36.38 billion, up 2% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 22.2% since reporting and currently trades at $48.66.

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

Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR)

Operating as Spectrum, Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading telecommunications company offering cable television, high-speed internet, and voice services across the United States.

Charter reported revenues of $13.6 billion, down 2.3% year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 1%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Charter had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 21.2% since reporting and currently trades at $232.19.

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

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