The Signal Amidst the Noise

Recently, I made a move in my portfolio and trimmed down some of my holdings in AT&T (NYSE: T) . The decision was largely driven by a strong gut feeling born from personal observation: over the past few months, it seemed like almost everyone around me was complaining about their coverage and making the jump over to Verizon. When you hear the same sentiment repeated across multiple conversations, it’s easy to assume that a company is quietly bleeding market share. But when AT&T delivered its Q2 2026 earnings report , the hard data told a completely different story. The Q2 2026 Reality Check Far from experiencing a mass customer exodus, AT&T actually reported solid operational momentum in its core mobility segment: Subscribers: Added 432,000 postpaid phone net subscribers in Q2 alone, backed by near-historical low churn rates. Earnings: Adjusted EPS came in at $0.65 , beating Wall Street expectations ($0.59–$0.60). Free Cash Flow: Generated $4.7 billion ...

For more than a century, American telecommunications have moved in cycles — consolidation, fragmentation, reinvention, and consolidation again. AT&T once stood as the immovable monopoly, the backbone of American communications. Then came the breakup, the rise of Verizon, the arrival of T‑Mobile from Europe, and a long era where AT&T looked more like a lumbering incumbent than an innovator. But over the last three years, something interesting has happened: the pendulum is swinging back. AT&T is quietly regaining momentum. Comcast is reporting broadband softness but wireless subscriber growth. T‑Mobile continues to expand but is no longer the only growth story. Verizon remains steady but is no longer the default “premium” choice. And across the industry, the shift toward fiber, 5G, and converged connectivity is reshaping competitive dynamics. The result? Investors are re‑evaluating the telecom landscape — and AT&T is suddenly back in the conversation. The Last Three Years...

I have been enjoying dividends from iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF ( PFF ) for several years. PFF is like that reliable old friend who always shows up on time and never forgets your birthday. It provides exposure to a diverse set of fixed-rate preferred stocks and offers a trailing twelve-month yield of around 6.26% with an expense ratio of 0.46% . It’s not flashy, but it gets the job done, making it a long-time favorite for income investors like myself. Then, one day, during a conversation about Preferred Stocks as an alternative to traditional investments , a friend hit me with a new idea: Global X Variable Rate Preferred ETF ( PFFV ) . I was skeptical at first—like when someone tells you they found a better coffee shop than your usual—but then they mentioned a better monthly payout than PFF. Now, if there’s one thing that gets my attention, it’s higher monthly dividends . PFFV is the new kid on the block. It lacks the long history of PFF, but it offers a distinct ad...

AT&T has recently reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 earnings, showcasing significant progress in its core wireless and fiber-optic services. The company added 482,000 postpaid phone subscribers in Q4, surpassing analyst expectations of 443,000, and achieved a postpaid phone churn rate of 0.85%, indicating strong customer retention. Additionally, AT&T reported 307,000 new fiber subscribers, contributing to a 7.8% year-over-year increase in consumer broadband revenues, which reached $2.9 billion.