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Will Higher Latin America Revenues Aid AT&T (T) Q2 Earnings?

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AT&T Inc. (T - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2023 results on Jul 26, before the opening bell.  In the second quarter, the Latin America segment is likely to have recorded year-over-year higher revenues despite a challenging macroeconomic environment and rising inflationary pressures owing to wireless traction.

Factors at Play

The Latin America segment comprises wireless services and equipment in Mexico.

In the second quarter, AT&T expanded its 5G network infrastructure in Mexico. The company continued to offer Unlimited Plans with multiple lines to mix and match, along with seamless data connectivity and high-speed, low-latency communication network facilities. Such initiatives are likely to get reflected in the upcoming results.  

During the to-be-reported quarter, AT&T México, in alliance with Qualcomm, Celona, Axity and Veea, have begun technological tests of private networks for developing use cases that help accelerate their adoption within industries. With lower latency and greater predictability, this technological innovation helps enable multiple protocols and digital links, thereby contributing to the development of new use cases. This is likely to have translated into higher revenues for the company.

However, adverse foreign currency translations and high operating costs for 5G deployments are likely to have led to soft margins in the quarter. Continuous infrastructure investments for 5G deployments are expected to have weighed on the margins. In addition, AT&T is reportedly relinquishing spectrum in Mexico for high operational and usage costs. A challenging macroeconomic environment is also expected to have partially hurt the top line.

Our estimate for revenues from the Latin America segment is pegged at $831.8 million, indicating an increase from $808 million reported in the year-ago quarter. Our estimate for operating loss from the segment stands at $70.5 million, suggesting an improvement from an operating loss of $82 million a year ago.

Overall Expectations

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total revenues of the company stands at $30,087 million, indicating growth from $29,643 million reported in the prior-year quarter. The consensus mark for earnings is currently pegged at 60 cents per share. It had reported earnings of 65 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for AT&T for the second quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. This is perfectly the case here.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is +2.08%, with the former pegged at 62 cents and the latter at 60 cents. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

AT&T Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

AT&T Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

AT&T Inc. price-eps-surprise | AT&T Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank: AT&T has a Zacks Rank #3.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season:

Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) is set to release quarterly numbers on Jul 27. It has an Earnings ESP of +19.64% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Earnings ESP for T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS - Free Report) is +3.94% and it carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Jul 27.

The Earnings ESP for Meta Platforms, Inc. (META - Free Report) is +5.83% and it carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Jul 26.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.


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