We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Communication and Media Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) stands against the other communication and media stocks.

The global telecommunications industry faces significant growth challenges amidst increasing demand for its essential services. Driven primarily by video traffic, global data consumption across telecom networks is expected to nearly triple by 2027. However, providers are experiencing limited pricing power in commoditized connectivity and data services, with internet access revenues projected to grow modestly at a 4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach $921.6 billion by 2027. Meanwhile, telecommunications companies (telcos) face substantial costs as they invest heavily in infrastructure to support 5G and other emerging technologies, with an estimated $342.1 billion investment forecasted for 2027 alone. These insights are highlighted in PwC’s inaugural Global Telecom Outlook, which underscores the strategic imperatives for telcos to sustain growth in a competitive landscape. Alongside traditional cost-cutting and optimization efforts, telcos are advised to explore growth opportunities such as IoT solutions, private 5G networks for businesses, fixed wireless broadband for households, and tailored digital infrastructure services for sectors like entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing, and mobility. Embracing these growth areas requires telcos to collaborate effectively within broader ecosystems that are reshaping the industry.

In the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, telecommunications companies (telcos) are experiencing heightened demand driven by evolving user preferences, particularly as new devices with increasingly data-intensive requirements emerge, largely fueled by video content. By 2027, of the projected 9.7 million petabytes (PB) of data consumption, nearly 7.7 million PB (79%) will be attributed to digitized video content, surpassing all other categories combined. Over the same period, data consumption from traditional communications has grown 104% from 2018 to 2022 due in part to pandemic-related factors, but is expected to increase only 26.8% through 2027. Games represent another significant growth area, with data consumption associated with gaming projected to grow at a 21% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2027, driven by the shift towards online and cloud gaming. Virtual reality (VR), fueled by the expansion of the metaverse, is also on the rise, with an anticipated 43% CAGR in VR data consumption over the next five years, accounting for 5% of total data consumption by 2027.

Despite technological advancements and increasing competition, the price of data is declining, impacting internet access revenues which are expected to grow at a modest 4% CAGR to reach $921.6 billion by 2027 from $757.7 billion in 2022, closely tracking global GDP growth. Cellular data is forecasted to be the fastest-growing category, with a 27% CAGR from 2022 to 2027, driven by significant variations in data consumption patterns across regions. In North America, cellular data is projected to comprise 6% of all data traffic, compared to 30% in Asia, particularly influenced by developments in India where the rollout of 5G is expected to catalyze service innovation and subscriber growth, potentially reaching 300 million to 350 million 5G subscribers by 2026. Telecom giants such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are poised to capitalize on this opportunity by fostering a robust gaming ecosystem and expanding into sectors like healthcare.

Our Methodology

We leveraged Insider Monkey’s comprehensive database of 920 prominent hedge funds to identify the top 10 media and communications stocks with the highest level of hedge fund investment as of Q1 2024. These stocks are listed in order of increasing hedge fund ownership, providing insight into the most popular communication and media stocks among elite investors.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 70

On June 11, BNP Paribas upgraded AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating. In its latest quarterly earnings report announced on April 24, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) reported a normalized earnings per share of $0.55, surpassing expectations by $0.02. The company posted revenue of $30.03 billion, which missed forecasts by $498.06 million. In Q1 2024, the count of hedge funds holding stakes in AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) rose to 70 from 66 in the previous quarter, based on Insider Monkey’s database of 920 hedge funds. These stakes collectively amount to around $2.91 billion in value. Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management emerged as the largest stakeholder among these hedge funds during this period.

Miller Value Income Strategy made the following comment about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) in its Q3 2023 investor letter:

“Our third-largest holding at quarter end was AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), a leading provider of communications and connectivity services in the US. At $15/share, the stock trades at the same price it did almost thirty years ago. The share price is much less interesting to us in relation to where it has traded in the past than in relation to how much cash the company generates and what management is doing with it. At just over 6x earnings, the stock trades near its lowest price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple ever, also representing close to its largest-ever P/E discount to the stock market. The business converts most of its earnings to free cash flow, implying a forward free cash flow yield north of 15%. Just under half of free cash flow is going toward the dividend (7.5% yield), while much of the balance is going to debt paydown. In other words, if the stock does not fall below its lowest-ever valuation, investors clip a rock-solid 7.5% in cash, while owning a growing portion of a very steady business as management reduces debt outstanding. A discounted cash flow model will suggest that intrinsic value for shares begins with a “2,” suggesting the stock is undervalued on an absolute basis. The lack of volatility in the underlying fundamentals also makes it unique when compared to many other things we own, which reduces the probability of permanent capital impairment and argues for a significant weight in the portfolio.

AT&T looks particularly attractive when compared to some of the larger names dominating the S&P 500. Compare the stock to Apple, for instance, whose revenues and profits are likely to shrink this year, even as it trades at 29x this year’s earnings estimate. The ongoing return to rationality and capital accountability, along with extreme valuations in the megacap tech stocks, have us more excited about our portfolio’s prospects than we can remember for quite some time. As always, we remain the largest investors and welcome any questions or comments.”

Overall T ranks 4th on our list of the best communication and media stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Communication and Media Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds to see the other communication and media stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of T as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than T but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion “Opportunity” for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.